WAVERLY — See ball, hit ball.
It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s the recipe that has carried Westfall’s volleyball program to success all season.
On Monday, Oct. 26, the Mustangs (13-10) put that philosophy into practice, sweeping top-seeded Coal Grove by a 25-21, 25-18, 25-22 final in a Division V district semifinal.
“I stress hitting the ball hard and hitting it off people,” Westfall coach Chad Moehl said. “A lot of these teams have been playing together for a long time, and they cover really well. But if you hit it off somebody, you can’t cover that. We hit around the blocks, off the blocks, through the blocks, and just hit the ball hard.”
Jill Butcher, Kendall Moehl and Makenzie Cook all did exactly that in the victory.
The trio continually gave Coal Grove's defense fits, finding open spots on the floor, sniping the corners for kills and hammering shots off would-be defenders.
“It’s so fun [playing in an aggressive offense]. It’s a positive environment because we play the way we know how to play,” Kendall Moehl said. “And we played the way we know how to play tonight.”
Meanwhile, when Coal Grove (18-5) managed to get a good swing on the ball, Westfall libero Joni Snyder was there to dig it up in the back row.
The senior led the defense with 11 digs.
“It’s probably really disheartening when you get a good swing on the ball, it goes through and Joni picks it up perfectly in the back row,” Chad Moehl said. “She’s done a fantastic job in the back row. Covering and knowing where to be is a big deal, and Joni does that.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair early. But after the Mustangs took a 13-11 lead, they never looked back. Moehl and Butcher propelled the team to a 23-18 lead before they closed out the win with a kill from Butcher.
Cook gave Westfall an early lead in the second, and Snyder extended it to 16-13 midway through with an ace. When Butcher later added an ace of her own, it produced a 19-14 count, which was more than enough cushion to shift into cruise control.
With their season on life support, the Hornets put up a valiant fight in the third.
But with the score tied at 22-22, Cook toed the service line and served up two straight aces. Moehl then closed the night with her team-leading 17th kill.
“All season long, we’ve had to have contributions from everyone,” Chad Moehl said. “We don’t have 6-foot-2 middles or 5-foot-10 middles. We’ve got players that need to come in and make things happen. When you can spread it out from the front row to the back row, you can make things happen in different places.”
The win over Coal Grove gives Westfall a chance to win its first district championship since 2022.
Moehl says he believes they’ve earned that chance, in part, because of a rigid Scioto Valley Conference schedule.
“Our league is probably one of the best leagues in Southern Ohio,” Chad Moehl said. “You’re going to see [SVC] teams still playing next week, and some teams that aren’t playing got knocked out by teams in the league. It’s fantastic volleyball. It prepares you for tournament volleyball.”
The Mustangs are now set to take on an SVC opponent for a third time this season.
They’ll meet Adena in a Division V district final on Oct. 31 at Waverly High School. The start time has not yet been announced.
“We have to keep doing what we’re doing, hit the ball hard and make things happen,” Chad Moehl said. “Our back row can cover and keep things in play. Offensively, when we start tipping, bad things happen. So I’d prefer not to do that, and just keep hitting the ball hard.”
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Westfall's aggressive attack powers upset of top-seeded Coal Grove