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Tag: volleyball

  • Crestview Lady Knights Get Their First Win of the Season.

    The Lady Knights were back at home to start the week, taking on the Minster Wildcats, in their 3rd straight non-conference matchup.

    The teams would trade points back and forth, before the Lady Wildcats rattle off 5 straight points to make it 9-5. Both teams continued to trade points, and it would be an 11-11 tie game. 2 more even point plays, then Minster would go on another 5 point run to make it 18-13.

    The Lady Knights would go on a massive rally, winning the next 9 straight points, and jump out to their first lead of the set, 22-18. The Lady Wildcats would answer back with 3 straight points, forcing Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory to call a timeout, holding onto a 1 point lead at 22-21.

    The break worked out well for them, as they’d win the next 2 straight points, and win the first set 25-22.

    The 2nd set would start out rough for the Lady Knights, as the Lady Wildcats jumped out leads of 7-2 and 10-4 before, once again, Crestview had to call a timeout. Points 9 and 10 for the Lady Wildcats came after the Lady Knights, committed back-to-back net infractions.

    Minster would win the next point, with Crestview making a substitution. Crestview would bring it to 13-7, before a LONG rally between the teams, which had multiple digs and saves. The Lady Wildcats would win this point, and the fans from both teams applauded the efforts of the ladies.

    Minster would get the score up to 17-11, before the Lady Knights would get rallies of 3 straight and 4 straight, to make it 19-18, and force the Lady Wildcats to call a timeout. Once again, the teams would trade points, as an ACE by the Knights would tie it up at 22-22, and Minster would call its final timeout. It would be for naught, as the Lady Knights would win the last 3 straight points and win the 2nd set 25-22.

    The Lady Knights would start off the 3rd set with 3 straight points, forcing Minster to call an early timeout. The Lady Wildcats would score 2 straight coming out of the break.

    The Lady Knights answered right back with 5 straight points of their own, making it a 9-2 lead. Both teams would trade points and small 2 point rallies, before Minster called their last timeout down 15-7.

    The break would work for them, as they scored 4 straight points, forcing Crestview to call a timeout with a 15-7 lead. The Lady Wildcats would never recover, and they would eventually lose the 3rd and final set 25-18, for a straight sets victory.

    It is the first win of the season for the Lady Knights, who are now 1-2.

    After the game, I spoke to Crestview Lady Knights head Coach Tammy Gregory.

    I asked her how she and the team felt, to finally get that first win of the season.

    “It feels good. It was really good for our confidence. You look at our schedule, and we face a state ranked team in Coldwater on Tuesday, and we played with a lot of confidence tonight”.

    I asked her about the rallies by both teams. What she says to the girls, when those momentum swings happen.

    “We practice those a lot actually. we know there are a couple of rotations that we struggle with more than others. It’ll be the same thing with every team we face. We just got to practice, and we’ll get that trust, and it’ll pop, and come up looking great”.

    Leading the way for the Lady Knights…

    Serving

    Kaci Gregory 11/11 with 1 ace

    Delanie Balliet 10/10 with 1 ace

    Ayla Kreischer 14/15 with 2 aces

    Kenadie Schwartz 17/18 with 1 ace

    Hitting

    Kaci Gregory 13 kills

    Alecta Baxter & Kaylee Owens 5 kills each

    Ayla Kreischer & Kenadie Schwartz 4 kills each

    Setting

    Nora Perkins 17 assists

    Kinley Crider 8 assists

    Digs

    Ayla Kreischer 12 digs

    Kaci Gregory 10 digs

    Blocks

    Alecta Baxter, Kaylee Owens, Kenadie Schwartz 2 stuff blocks each

    The Lady Knights have a quick turnaround, as they return to action tomorrow night at Coldwater, with JV starting things off at 5:30 PM.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats courtesy of…..Tammy Gregory.

  • Lady Knights Drop Home Opener To Lady Panthers.

    Walking into the hallway of Crestview, I was immediately greeted by the smell of popcorn and pizza. Which was such a kick in the pants, since my doctors put me on a strict diet. LOL.

    Kids were running around the hallway, full of energy adults wish they had. Parents chatting like they hadn’t seen each other since…. Friday night’s football game.

    The Crestview Lady Knights Volleyball team were opening their season at home, against the Paulding Panthers, in a non-conference game.

    With the high school gymnasium under renovation until late September, the games are being played in the middle school. Despite that, it was a full house. Old and young, even some former players stopped by for the game.

    The Lady Panthers went up quickly 3-0 in the first set, and didn’t let up at all, winning it easily, 25-13.

    The second set started with both teams at one point apiece, when the floor official stopped play, called both of the team captains over to him, and had some words. There was a lot of net entanglements, and a small bit of chatter.

    Afterwards, the teams traded points back and forth. Crestview scored 3 straight points, before Paulding called a timeout down 13-11. They continued to trade points, until Crestview called at timeout, up 19-18. The Lady Knights would end up winning the 2nd set 25-23.

    The Panthers would jump out to a 6-0 lead, forcing Knights head coach Tammy Gregory to call a timeout early.

    The two huddles were completely different. Gregory was calmly coaching her girls, using her hands to show proper bump techniques and overhands.

    Panthers head coach Emily Taylor was enthusiastic and praising her girls for such a hot start.

    Unfortunately, for the Lady Knights, the timeout did not stop the momentum right away, as the Lady Panthers promptly made it a 13-2 game. Finally, Crestview would go on their own run, as they’d score 6 straight points, forcing a Panthers timeout.

    The Knights would get the score to 16-13, before Paulding would play the Reverse Uno card, and rattle off 4 straight to make it 20-16. Nothing would work for the Knights afterwards, dropping the 3rd set 25-16.

    The 4th set would start off with more point trading. The Lady Knights would win a long rally, where both teams showed off tremendous athleticism and stamina, to make it a 3-3 score.

    Paulding would win the next point and never let up the rest of the way.

    Crestview made it close a few times, cutting the lead to 13-12, 18-16, and 20-17. The Panthers were simply too relentless. Scoring the final 5 points and winning the match 25-17.

    I spoke to Crestview Head Coach Tammy Gregory after the game. I asked her what positives, she and the team could take away from the loss.

    “We were at a size disadvantage. We were struggling with their size and aggressive attacks. I’m going to go to that third game of the match. You know, we were down, and we could’ve folded very easily, but we fought back.”

    There are only 2 seniors on this team. However, a lot of the underclassman, got significant playing time last season. I asked if she expected their continued improvement to really help the team as the season continues.

    “I think they’re going to step into their roles very well. What I like about this team, is they have good mentorship and they’re competitors. They have that team chemistry, their drive, and they’re there for each other. They’re going to get better, and they have the drive for that work.”

    Leading the way for the Lady Knights…

    Serving

    Kaci Gregory 13/14 with 2 aces

    Lainey Gardner 11/12 with 1 ace

    Nora Perkins 10/11 with 1 ace

    Ayla Kreischer 10/11 with 1 ace

    Hitting

    Kaci Gregory 16 kills

    Kenadie Schwartz 8 kills

    Ayla Kreischer 7 kills

    Setting

    Nora Perkins 30 assists

    Digs

    Kaci Gregory 12 digs

    Ayla Kreischer 8 digs

    Nora Perkins 6 digs

    Blocks

    Kaylee Owens 2 blocks

    Kenadie Schwartz 2 blocks

    The Crestview Lady Knights are back on the court this Thursday, as they travel to New Bremen, in another non-conference matchup.

    – Sean McKenzie

    Stats courtesy of…..Tammy Gregory.

  • Lady Knights Dominate Lady Bearcats in Conference Match.

    Crestview Lady Knights Volleyball Team huddled together on the court before a match, wearing blue uniforms and preparing for the game.

    The Crestview Lady Knights Volleyball Team hosted the Spencerville Bearcats at The Ray, in a Northwest Conference match.

    The Lady Bearcats got the first point of the match, but that would be the highlight of the first set for them. The Lady Knights were aggressive and aces by #10 Lillie Best (18-4) and #1 Ayla Kreischer (21-5), easily won the first set by a score of 25-9.

    The 2nd set, saw the Bearcats again get the first point, and was a much closer start to the set. Going back and forth, it was a 5-5 game. The Lady Cats went on a run, seizing momentum, forcing Crestview HC Tammy Gregory to call a timeout, down 12-7.

    A volleyball player from the Crestview Lady Knights prepares to serve during a match against the Spencerville Bearcats, with an audience visible in the background.

    The timeout worked, as it completely stopped the momentum that Spencerville had gathered, as the Lady Knights tied the game at 12-12, and then went on a run. An ace by #20 Nora Perkins forced a Spencerville timeout, with Crestview up 20-16. The Lady Knights would win the 2nd set 25-17.

    This time, the Knights would get the first point of the set, and would quickly jump out to an 8-4, then 15-5 lead.

    An ace by #10 Lillie Best would a force a Bearcat timeout, leading 13-5. Then next ten points would be a bit back and forth, with the Knights leading 19-9. A long hard-fought rally would go the way of Crestview to make it 23-16, before the Lady Knights would win the final set 25-18, and win the match in straight sets (25-9, 25-17, 25-18).

    Crestview Lady Knights Volleyball Team and Spencerville Bearcats shaking hands after the match, with the scoreboard showing a final score of 25-18.

    Kaci Gregory led the Knights on serves, going 15 of 15 with 1 ace, as well leading the team in digs, with 12. It’s fun watching her dive all over the court. She’s a vocal leader as well.

    Haley McCoy led the team in hitting (14 kills) and blocks (3).

    Emily Lichtle led the team in setting with 23 assists.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team in a huddle during a match, wearing blue and red uniforms.

    The win makes the Lady Knights an undefeated 4-0 in conference play. I asked Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory about how they girls are keeping the winning train rolling.

    “They’re confident and they trust one another. The younger ones are really coming along, and the older ones, they trust them. Another conference win and we’re still working towards that goal of winning the conference.”

    With another undefeated team on the docket, I asked coach, how they’re preparing for the challenge.

    “We’re going to focus on the basics tomorrow. We only practice on Wednesday and Fridays, because we play every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Aggressive serving and you can’t get enough defense.”

    I asked about the Lady Knights aggressiveness at the net. It was much more prominent in this game.

    “I don’t want them being tipping machines, but we talk about how you should have all your options, even in the timeouts. No free balls, we preach that over, and over, and over. They’ve got to do something aggressive, and they are doing that.”

    The 16th state ranked Lady Knights are now 9-3 overall (4-0 in the NWC). They travel up I-75 to take on the Bluffton Lady Pirates, who are 12-5 overall and (4-0 in the NWC).

    – by Sean McKenzie

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    Stats courtesy of…..Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory.

  • Knights Take on Lancers, in a Cross County Rivalry Match.

    Players from the Crestview Knights and Lincolnview Lancers shake hands at the net after a volleyball match, showcasing sportsmanship in a gym filled with spectators.

    Nothing like a good rivalry game, on a warm Tuesday afternoon, to get the blood flowing.

    That’s exactly what we saw in as the Lincolnview Lancers made the trip across Van Wert County, to take on the Crestview Knights.

    The Lancers were coming off back-to-back losses, and the Knights had won two straight matches.

    Lincolnview opened the scoring, before going down 13-8 and calling a timeout. The Lancers then won a long rally to make it a 15-13 game. The Lancers and Knights traded timeouts at 16-15, and 20-18. The girls would trade points and rallies back and forth, before the Knights finally put them away, winning a hard fought first set, 28-26.

    A packed gymnasium filled with fans watching a volleyball match, with a player preparing to serve in the foreground.

    Knights #7 Emily Lichtle opened the 2nd set with an ace. Crestview would force a timeout by Lincolnview up 3-0.

    There would be a long discussion at the net by two officials and players from each team, as nobody saw which side of the net, the ball fell, on what was supposed to be the 7th point of match. They finally decided to simply replay the point, and eventually the Knights won. (The two officials would not answer when I asked about it after the game).

    They would once again go back and forth, with ties at 7-7, and again at 13-13. Crestview would go on a 4-point streak and force another timeout at 18-14. The Knights would call a timeout at 21-19.

    The Knights would win the second set, the same way they started. Another ace by #7 Emily Lichtle iced it, 25-20.

    She had a big game, going 17/17 on serves, with 2 aces, and a whooping 20 sets.

    A volleyball match in progress, featuring players from Crestview and Lincolnview in a gymnasium filled with spectators.

    The Lancers would get the 1st point of the third set, before the Knights would answer with 4 straight. There would be great saves by Knights players #5 Lydia Grace and #3 Kaci Gregory, to get the ball back in play. Crestview would end up winning the point and going up 8-7. The Lancers didn’t go down easy, forcing a Knights timeout, with the Lancers up 11-9.

    They would trade leads, before getting to a 15-15 tie. There was a miscommunication between Grace and Gregory on play, and the Lancers got the point to go up 16-15. Crestview would take the lead back at 17-16, and #20 Nora Perkins would get a big ace at 19-16. Forcing a Lancers timeout at 21-18. Perkins would finish going 16/16 on serves, with 1 ace, and 13 sets.

    The Lancers had one last fight in them, tying it at 22-22, before the Lady Knights would win the 3rd and final set of the match, in straight sets (28-26, 25-20, 25-22).

    #21 Haley McCoy led the team with 12 kills and 4 blocks. Kaci Gregory and Lydia Grace each had 19 digs for the Knights. Grace also went 9/10 on serves with an ace, as well.

    Players and coaches gathered in a gymnasium before a volleyball match between Crestview and Lincolnview, with the scoreboard showing 0-0.

    I spoke with Crestview Knights girls volleyball head coach Tammy Gregory after the game.

    I asked her how she and the team were feeling after getting a big conference win.

    “I’m just so proud of the girls. You know, we put it together. We made some changes down the stretch, and they just trust each other. They’re becoming more confident every game. Winning the conference is a goal of ours. They had a game last night, and the girls stepped up and did what they had to do.”

    It was a game of long rallies, with both teams going on long runs of 5 and 6 straight points. I asked how she kept the girls focused when momentum changes like that.

    Crestview Knights girls volleyball team huddled around their coach, discussing strategy during a match.

    “We talk about that because your right. You know, our goal is to never let somebody score more than two points, but you know, that stuff happens. You have to stop it. Whether that’s a timeout, or changing something on the court, so that it looks different to the serving team. Once you get the momentum, you have to keep it going.”

    The Knights are coming up on a stretch of 5 games in 9 days. I asked about that upcoming calendar.

    “We’ve got another conference game on Thursday, and the girls know that we cannot overlook any team, at any given night. Some things are going well for us, some things aren’t, but we’re going to continue to gel and believe in one another.”

    A crowded gymnasium filled with spectators watching a volleyball match, featuring bleachers on both sides and a volleyball net in the foreground.

    The Knights are now 6-3 overall, and 2-0 in the Northwest Conference.

    The Lady Knights will host the Allen East Mustangs (3-8 overall, and 0-2 in conference play), on Thursday afternoon. JV starts at 5:30 PM (EST).

    Knights JV girls volleyball team was also victorious, winning 2-1.

    – by Sean McKenzie

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    Stats courtesy of…..Knights Head Coach Tammy Gregory.

  • Lady Knights with another tough test at home.

    Coach Gregory talking to the Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team during a timeout, with players in red jerseys huddled together on the court.

    Coach Gregory and the Lady Knights once again were back at The Ray with a tough matchup against the Coldwater Cavaliers. Whoever made the schedule, certainly made the home openers of the season tough, as Coldwater are the defending state champions.

    It was a nice turnout at The Ray, as over 100 Crestview and Coldwater students, parents, and fans showed up to cheer on the young ladies (by my hand count). It’s been a pleasant surprise to see how much the community supports all the Crestivew Knights athletic teams.

    Crestview got the first point of the game in a competitive first set, before falling 25-20.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team preparing for a match with coaches and players on the court.

    The Lady Cavaliers got off to a fast start in the second set, forcing Crestview timeouts with the Lady Knights down 11-5 and 16-12. The Lady Knights had a small rally forcing Coldwater to take a timeout up 20-16.

    The Cavaliers rallied back, forcing Coach Gregory to use a timeout, down 23-16, before the Coldwater won the second set 25-19.

    Once again, the Lady Cavaliers started the third set fast, jumping out to a dominate 20-9 lead. The Lady Knights stormed back, scoring six of the next eight points, forcing a Coldwater timeout, up 22-15.

    A volleyball player in a red jersey prepares to serve in a match, with a crowd of spectators in the background.

    It was just not to be again on this night, as the Lady Knights would fall 25-18, losing the match in straight sets.

    The Lady Knights were led by senior Lillie Best who went 9/10 serving with 2 aces, as well as 7 kills.

    Freshmen Nora Perkins got a lot of playing time, and played well, going 9/9 on serves and had 7 assists.

    Junior Kaci Gregory led the team with a whooping 16 digs. She was diving and flying around all over the floor. It’s fun to watch her play.

    Senior Haley McCoy had 4 kills and 2 blocks.

    Senior Emily Lichtle had 12 assists and is the most vocal player on the floor, so far this season.

    Volleyball teams Crestview Lady Knights and Coldwater Cavaliers shaking hands after the match in a gymnasium.

    Crestview JV Lady Knights fell in straight set as well (25-11 and 25-20).

    The Lady Knights (1-2) travel north on US-49 to take on the Antwerp Archers (1-5) on Thursday afternoon. JV kicks it all off at 5:30 PM at the Antwerp high school gym.

    Coach Gregory was unavailable for a post-match interview.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats courtesy of……Crestview Head Coach Tammy Gregory.

  • Powerhouse volleyball programs collide in early season clash.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team huddled together during a match, discussing strategy on the court.

    The Crestview Lady Knights opened their 2025 season at home against the New Bremen Cardinals.

    Two programs that are no strangers to state championships and deep playoff runs.

    Both teams also starting a lot of underclassmen on their varsity teams.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team stands in a line before a match, showcasing their team uniforms on the court.

    The Cardinals only have two seniors, in #4 Mary Rindler and #9 Allie Bornhorst with 9 girls either freshmen or sophomores.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team in a huddle on the court, preparing for the game.

    The Lady Knights only sport three seniors, #7 Emily Lichtle, #10 Lillie Best, and #21 Haley McCoy, with 7 girls being underclassmen.

    The Lady Knights lost the 1st set 25-19 to the visitors. Coach Gregory called a timeout in the 2nd set trailing 10-3. It got some momentum for the home team started.

    Both teams played a long volley back and forth in the 2nd set, which was won by Crestview to make it a 15-11 game. That would be the best for them in that set, as they eventually lost 25-16.

    A volleyball match in progress with players from both teams in action. The Crestview Lady Knights are in black uniforms, while the New Bremen Cardinals are in blue uniforms. A player from Crestview is jumping to hit the ball over the net.

    Down 2 sets to 0, the Lady Knights were hoping to recapture some of the magic they displayed against the Paulding Panthers on Tuesday. They went down 2-0, then came back to win 3 straight sets to bring home the victory.

    The Cardinals weren’t going to make it easy on them, scoring the first 5 points of the set, before Crestview got on the board, and took 3 straight points in return.

    The Knights student section was up and loud, cheering on the Lady Knights in the 3rd set.

    A large group of students and fans cheering in the stands during a high school volleyball game, showcasing team spirit with school colors and various expressions of excitement.

    It just wasn’t meant to be for the young Lady Knights on this night. Every time they got a bit of momentum, the Cardinals were quick to shut it down.

    They fell in the 3rd and final set 25-17.

    The Knights were led by #3 Kaci Gregory, who finished the game with 14/16 serving with 3 aces, as well as 8 digs and 6 kills.

    Crestview Lady Knights volleyball team lineup, featuring players in blue jerseys, preparing for a match on the court.

    I first caught up with New Bremen Cardinals head coach Diana Kramer.

    It was the 2nd straight road win for the Cardinals; I asked her how she feels about the early season road wins and some positives coming out of it.

    “We’re in the gym a lot. There’s a lot of inexperience, a lot of young girls here. You got to trust your preparation and trust what you got to do in moments like this. The blockers did a good job controlling the net, which frustrated their hitters. I felt like outside of only one or two rotations; we were in control of most of the match.”

    She praised Coach Gregory, “With a great coach like Tammy on the sidelines, you have to bring your best.”

    Crestview Lady Knights and New Bremen Cardinals shaking hands after a volleyball match at Crestview.

    I spoke to Knights head coach Tammy Gregory shortly after the game, as well.

    I asked her what were some positives the team could take away from the loss?

    “Having good teams like this come here and compete is only going to teach our younger girls. We would get down, and we had to fight much harder to come back, because we were always down like five points. We had to waste a lot of energy to come back from that.”

    I brought up that there seemed to be a lot of miscommunications during the game.

    “We did just talk about that. I think we’ll have to take that with a more serious practice.”

    A volleyball coach stands on the sidelines with arms crossed, observing players on the court during a match. The gymnasium features a volleyball net and seating for spectators.

    The Lady Knights (1-1) are back in action at home against the Coldwater Cavaliers, on Tuesday August 26th, at 7:00 PM.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats courtesy of…..Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory.