Submitted Photo District 10 3A volleyball runner-up Warren includes, from left, Lauren Fajbik, Lilly Newton, Maddie Nosel, Alexia Bowers, Kirsten Johnson, Maddy Jones, Lily Walker, Lindsay Madigan, Sophie Walker, Carly Beers, Kylie Fehlman and Summer Lucks.

MEADVILLE — Warren’s volleyball team showed it’s close despite a 3-1 loss to four-time defending champion Conneaut on Saturday in the District 10 3A championship at Meadville Area Senior High.

“It’s silver, but I’m really proud of the way this team worked and battled out there,” said Warren coach Mike Dolan, whose Dragons fell 23-25, 23-25, 28-26, 17-25. Warren had leads of 11 points and nine points in the first and second sets respectively, but Conneaut overcame each large deficit.

“The whole match was high-level volleyball with great defense and attacking,” added Dolan. “That is a very good, well-coached CASH team, and we gave them all they could handle today. But, to CASH’s credit, they didn’t panic when we had those leads and the unforced errors caught up with us.”

Warren led 18-7 in the first set before Conneaut went on a 13-0 run to take a 20-18 lead and eventual win. In the second set, CASH trailed 17-8 and battled back to take a 23-22 lead for its first lead of the set. Warren would tie the set at 23-23, but CASH scored back-to-back points to go up two sets.

Warren, with just two seniors in 2022, showed its resolve in the third set, battling back from an 18-14 deficit to win 28-26 on a kill by sophomore Maddy Jones. Jones finished with nine kills, eight digs, three blocks, and two aces in the match.

“We will miss our two seniors, Carly Beers and Kirsten Johnson, who both played their hearts out, but hopefully the rest of the team builds on this experience for next year,” said Dolan.

Junior middle hitter Kylie Fehlman led Warren (17-14-5) with 13 kills and four blocks; junior Alexia Bowers had seven kills; Beers had seven kills, eight digs and an ace; and Johnson three kills, three blocks and two aces. Sophomore setter Lindsay Madigan finished with 35 assists and six digs. Defensively, junior Summer Lucks had 23 digs and an ace, and sophomore Sophie Walker three digs.

Region 5 and D10 champion Conneaut is 15-2-3 prior to states.