By Matt Zircher

Sports Writer

DAYTON — It’s been an amazing tournament run for the Jackson Center volleyball team.

Not only have the Lady Tigers won every set along the way, they have been dominate in doing so, outscoring the opposition 450-198 in six previous tournament matches, an average of 25-11 each game.

Jackson didn’t hurt that average Friday afternoon in the Division IV state semifinals here at the Nutter Center, as the Tigers needed just over an hour in rolling to a 25-11, 25-14, 25-11 decision over the New Washington Buckeye Center Buckettes.

That win, along with Marion Local’s five-game decision over Newark Catholic in the first semifinal, sets up a much-anticipated rematch between the Tigers, the top-ranked team in the state, and the second-ranked 25-3 Lady Flyers, today at 3.

The match will be televised live on SportsTime Ohio, which is channel 99 for Time Warner cable customers and channel 104 for those with Watch TV.

Jackson rallied for a five-game win at Marion, the defending Division IV state champions, on Sept. 20.

Buckeye Central scored the opening two points of the match on kills from Makayla Agin and Jordan Kimmel, but that turned out to be the only lead the Buckettes would enjoy the entire day as the Tigers grabbed the lead for good with four straight points, half coming on Allissa Ware kills.

Kimmel made it 4-3 with another kill, only to see Jackson tally six unanswered, including back-to-back kills by Casey Gates. The Lady Tigers later added a 7-0 burst as they recorded 14 kills, six each from Gates and Ware, with only two attack errors in the first game compared to seven kills and eight errors for Buckeye Central.

“That’s been a pattern we’ve had through this tournament run, getting off to a quick start,” said Jackson coach Kim Metz. “To get a leg up early in the match is a huge key, especially with momentum.”

Two more Ware kills helped Jackson jump out to a 5-0 lead in the second game and the Tigers gradually pulled away from there, never letting the Buckettes get closer than four the rest of the way.

Ware recorded seven more kills in game two with Gates chipping in five along with seven digs.

Another fast start, this time 4-0, gave Jackson the advantage in the third game and the Lady Tigers closed out the match in strong fashion, scoring the final five points in succession.

Jackson has now won its last 43 games since dropping the first game to Anna way back on Sept. 23.

“If you don’t answer what the other team does, they are going to keep doing it and that’s what Jackson did to us,” said Buckeye Central coach Paige Caudill. “We just weren’t quick enough to find an answer.”

For the match, Jackson recorded 44 kills and 12 attack errors compared to just 22 kills and 18 errors for Buckeye Central.

Both Ware and Gates posted “double-doubles” for the Tigers as Ware had 18 kills and 11 digs while Gates added 16 kills and 12 digs.

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