LEXINGTON —How long does it take to rehabilitate a torn ACL?

Or mend a broken heart?

Those questions have kept Janelle Wyant up late at night — and Lexington’s volleyball coach doesn’t have all the answers.

Nothing could have prepared Wyant for all Lady Lex has endured this season. There are no pages in the coaches manual for coping with anguish.

“We’re doing the best we can and that’s all we can ask,” Wyant said after Lexington’s Senior Night victory over Madison last week. “It’s one day at a time, one moment at a time.

Lady Lex (15-6) heads into the new-look postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Division IV Riverdale district tournament. Lexington will host No. 8 Van Wert in a sectional final at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Wyant doesn’t really know what to expect.

“We’re just trying to stay positive and keep it together,” she said. “We’ll keep fighting and do the best we can.”

High Expectations

Lexington won a second straight sectional title and reached the Division II district championship match for the first time since 2017 last fall before falling to Norwalk. With a wealth of talent back from that 19-6 team, including Maryland recruit and All-Ohio junior hitter Ava Brown, expectations were soaring as the season began.

Lady Lex exceeded those expectations, winning 12 straight matches to open the season. That stretch included a five-set victory over Ohio Cardinal Conference heavyweight Wooster in late-August.

Misfortune struck less than two weeks later when junior setter Bella Temple tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in a match at Mount Vernon. Temple, who had 269 assists through the first 12 games, was lost for the season.

“Imagine losing your quarterback. That is what we were going through,” Brown said. “She has been our setter since freshman year, so there is a comfort level that you just can’t underestimate. Losing her is so tough.”

Wyant agreed.

“We didn’t just lose our setter,” Wyant said. “We lost someone who does it all on the court. She is … the glue that kept everyone together.”

Tragedy Strikes

While Temple’s loss was tough on the team, nothing could have prepared Lady Lex for the tragedy to follow.

A house explosion in Springfield Township on Sept. 13 claimed the life of Krista Cramer, mother of Lexington senior Madeline Cramer. Madeline’s father, Col. Troy Cramer of the Ohio Air National Guard’s 179th Cyberspace Wing based at Mansfield’s Lahm Airport, was seriously injured in the explosion.

“First we lost Bella to injury and then this horrific tragedy that Madeline went through. I don’t have words for it,” Wyant said. “Life is fragile and I think sometimes we all take things for granted.”

Suddenly, Lady Lex was down two starters. After opening with 12 straight wins, Lexington is 3-6 in their past nine matches.

“In the huddle before every game, I would say, ‘Let’s do it for Bella and Madeline,’ ” Brown said. “We’ve gone through a lot. It’s been really difficult, but we pushed forward the best we could.”

A Community United

The Lexington community — and all of north central Ohio — rallied around the Cramer family after the accident.

Madeline’s older brothers, Trevor and Nate, played soccer at Lexington before graduating, Trevor in 2020 and Nate in 2022. The Lex boys soccer program collected gift cards for the family and several other schools in the area collected donations, too.

The military community also has thrown its support behind the family.

“The support has been amazing,” Trevor Cramer said during the volleyball team’s Senior Night festivities against Madison last week. “Getting back into sports has probably been the best thing that could have happened for Madeline.”

A defensive specialist, Cramer re-joined her teammates not long ago. Her infectious smile lit up the gym on Senior Night.

“We’re so grateful to have her back,” Wyant said. “She brings so much energy and joy and you can see that on the court.”

Lexington athletic director Jeff Eichorn marveled at Cramer’s resiliency. 

“She’s a strong kid and she’s got a great support system, from the community to family and friends,” Eichorn said. “Her brothers have been inspirational and her volleyball girls have been great.

“They love having her back. The very first day she was back, our girls were glowing. They were so excited to have her back.”

Life Lessons

Regardless of what happens in the postseason, Eichorn said the season of tragedy and triumph has put things into perspective.

“Sports aren’t quite as important as we sometimes make them out to be,” Eichorn said. “It’s fun and it’s important but at the end of the day, it’s just a game.”

The lessons Lady Lex learned this fall extend beyond the court.

“There are so many positive things that come from team sports, things that aren’t necessarily about what happens during the game or practice,” Wyant said. “You don’t always recognize the importance of those things when you are 16 or 17 years old. 

“Life is all about relationships and team and community. This is an important reminder. I hope that is what the girls take away from this season.”