FAIRBORN, Ohio — Ohio's best high school volleyball team was thought to reside along the banks of the Olentangy River. Turns out, the true home river was a "Rocky" one.
Magnificat upset Olentangy Liberty Saturday at the Nutter Center near Dayton to win the OHSAA Division I state volleyball championship. The Blue Streaks prevailed in four sets to earn their first-ever title in the sport.
Entering the state tournament ranked No. 6 in D-I, Magnificat dominated the bracket by not losing a single set through the state semifinals. However, they faced their toughest test yet in Liberty, which had been 27-1 and ended the regular season ranked No. 1.
The two schools split the first two sets, but the Blue Streaks (23-6) eventually took over thanks to a well-balanced attack. Mary Flanagan and tram captain Ella Ford each had a team-high 14 kills, while Lauren Yacobucci had three kills of her own along with a staggering 47 assists. Up 25-24 in the fourth set, it was Yacobucci who set up Sophia Anghilante's kill that clinched the match.
This was Magnificat's first trip to the state championship game since 1999, when they lost to Mount Notre Dame. Liberty had also been seeking its first title in volleyball.
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