WILLARD — Seneca East didn’t want to have anything to do with Lucas standout Shelby Grover.
The top-seeded Tigers did their best to avoid Grover and cruised to a 3-0 win over the sixth-seeded Cubs in the nightcap of a Division IV district semifinal doubleheader at Willard High School.
Seneca East coach Greg Hendrix got a good look at Grover when the Cubs upset third-seeded Norwalk St. Paul in last week’s sectional final at Seneca East High School. Hendrix was determined not to let Grover go wild like she did against the Flyers.
“We watched these girls play over in our gym last week and I can’t tell you the level of respect we have for the Grover girl,” Hendrix said. “We felt like (St. Paul) went after her to try to tire her out. She’s a track girl. You’re not going to tire her out.
“Our game plan was to stay the heck away from her and the girls did just a phenomenal job. They served away from her and when she got to the front row we kept them out of system to the point where they couldn’t get her the ball. That was the entire game plan.”
With Grover neutralized, the Tigers (20-4) were able to dispatch the upstart Cubs, who were in the district tournament for the first time since 2013. Seneca East won 25-12, 25-11, 25-11.
“There hitters are great,” Lucas coach Paige Sauder said. “We just weren’t there. We were slow in our blocks and slow in our serve receive.”
In addition to Grover, Lucas will lose four other senior starters in Marissa Caugherty, Briana Osborn, Maleigha Strickler and Sydnee Blackledge.
“I coached them as seventh graders,” Sauder said. “They showed up every day in the summer.
“Having a senior like Shelby Grover, she battled until the last point. She plays every point in practice and a game like its her last. Every athlete needs to do that.”
Seneca East will play Monroeville for a district title at 6 p.m. Thursday in Willard. Monroeville beat Buckeye Central 3-0 in Tuesday’s early match.
Seneca East beat Monroeville in four sets in a regular season match in late-August.
“We know what we’re dealing with in Monroeville,” Hendrix said. “We had a war at the beginning of the year and it took a toll on us. We had to give every ounce of our energy.”
