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Warren stages big rally in third game to sweep Villa

The Warren Area High School volleyball team celebrates the final point in a 26-24 third set victory over Villa at Warren Area High School. The Lady Dragons rallied from 24-19 down in the third set to win the match, 3-0. It was a re-match of the District 10 semifinals from a season ago in which Warren staged a dramatic comeback to earn the victory

Warren certainly has a flair for the dramatic when they play Villa.

It didn’t look like that would be the case through two games on Tuesday at Joseph A. Massa Gymnasium, as the Lady Dragons dominated by identical 25-10 scores

But trailing 24-19 in the third, it was looking like there was going to be a fourth set.

And then there wasn’t.

Warren rattled off seven-straight points to close the set and the match in a re-match of last season’s District 10 semifinals, won in dramatic fashion by the Lady Dragons.

Warren Area High School senior libero Julia Lobdell receives a serve during Tuesday’s match against Villa at Warren Area High School.

“It felt a lot like it (the playoff match last season), coming back the way we did,” said senior Lydia Latimer. “Honestly, I was starting to think about the next set and the corrections we needed to make … and then we came back.”

Fellow senior Ellie Lobdell was serving when Warren (4-0 overall, 4-0 Region 6) made its run, and the crowd was rocking.

“It was a lot of fun,” Lobdell said. “When the crowd’s like that, it makes us play better.”

They certainly didn’t need any help playing better in the first two sets, as they were in complete control in each.

They led 9-6 when a kill from Jordan Sitler sparked what ended up being a 16-4 run to close the set.

Warren’s Ellie Lobdell gets set to serve on Tuesday aginast Villa. Lobdell closed out a dramatic rally in the third set with 6-straight points.

Latimer, Chase, Lobdell and Grace Wortman were all connecting on big swings, with setter Lex Nyquist putting the ball right where they wanted it.

“We’ve all played together for so long and Lex knows what we like,” Latimer added.

In the second set, Warren never let Villa (3-3, 1-3) have a chance, jumping out to a 7-1 lead and never looking back.

Again, the hitters were swinging strong and confident and, as a whole, the Lady Dragons showed no weaknesses.

It’s what a team with the kind of talent like they have can do when they are clicking on all cylinders, which includes not only the offense, but the defense, keyed by senior libero Julia Lobdell, as well.

“We were controlling all the digs and our offense was just on,” said coach Mike Dolan. ” Lex was putting it right where we needed it. Lydia, Celia, Grace, Ellie … we were just firing away. When we’re doing it right that’s how it looks.”

The third set appeared as if it was going to go much like the first two, with Warren jumping out to a 6-2 lead. But Villa came roaring back, rattling off seven points in a row, and it was game on.

And, while it wasn’t an ideal situation they were facing in the third, it shows that they are capable of fighting back when things aren’t going their way.

But that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has watched them play.

“You know it’s good to get in it and come out of it,” Dolan said. “This is a team that’s capable of doing that, but to be able to do it … it’s a good win.”

Statistical leaders for the Dragons were Latimer (14 kills, 6 blocks, 10 digs, 3 aces), Chase (8 kills, 4 digs), Wortman (3 kills, 3 digs, 2 blocks), Ellie Lobdell (6 kills, 11 digs, 2 aces), Sitler (4 kills, 2 blocks), Nyquist (29 assists, 2 kills, 4 digs), Julia Lobdell (3 digs) and Hannah Shattuck (1 kill).

The junior varsity team was also victorious, winning 2-1 (25-19, 18-25, 15-11).

Leading the way were Katie Madigan (15 assists) and Olivia English, Jayna Baldensperger and Hannah Shattuck with three kills each.

The Region 6-leading Lady Dragons are back at home on Thursday, hosting Meadville.

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