LEXINGTON, Ohio — Coaching her daughter presented its share of challenges, but Lexington’s Bobbi Weaver wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Weaver’s daughter, three-time All-Ohioan Mackenzie, led Lady Lex to the Final Four for the first time in 30 years. Lexington fell to two-time defending state champ Chardon Notre Dame Cathedral Latin in the semifinals, bringing Mackenzie’s high school career to a close and marking the end of an era.
“It’s not always been easy, coaching your kid,” Bobbi Weaver said in the postgame press conference at Wright State University’s Nutter Center earlier this month. “You have high expectations for them.
“She has a strong personality and she is a competitor. She loves to play and loves to win.”
The Syracuse-bound Mackenzie led Lex to a 24-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. She was selected the Ohio Cardinal Conference Offensive Player of the Year for a second straight year and was the District 6 Player of the Year. She has been selected to the All-Ohio first team each of the past two seasons.
Lexington nearly missed out on its first trip to the Final Four since 1985. Lady Lex trailed heavyweight Parma Padua 14-11 in the fifth and deciding game, but rallied for a 17-15 win. Lexington rode the momentum to a 3-1 win over Ottawa-Glandorf in the regional championship match.
“(The Padua game) was the most competitive match I’ve played in my high school career,” Mackenzie said at the time. “We had to listen to my mom and believe in what she was telling us.”
The younger Weaver, who recorded her 1,000th kill as a junior, had 581 kills this fall with a .473 hitting percentage. She had 104 blocks, including 79 solos, and 346 digs.
Joining Weaver on the All-Richland Source first team were Lex teammates Olivia Kearns and Lauren Slaton.
A sophomore, Kearns had 943 assists. She was an OCC first team pick and a District 6 first-teamer in Division II.
A junior, Slaton was second on the team with 178 kills. She was a second team selection in the OCC and District 6.
Madison was in a rare rebuilding year, but senior Kamilla Brown was the team’s anchor. The senior was an OCC and District 6 first team selection in Division I.
Galion finished runner-up to state power Jonathan Alder in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Red Division and Taylor Valentine was a big reason why. The senior outside hitter was selected to the All-Ohio second team. She was a MOAC and District 6 first team pick.
Crestview finished third in the Firelands Conference behind small-school heavyweights Monroeville and St. Paul thanks in no small part to Macie Restille. The hitter was a District 6 first team selection in Division III.
The final member of the All-Richland Source team is Shelby’s Maddi Fidler. The Junior led the Whippets (13-10) with 167 kills and a .246 hitting percentage. She was selected to the District 6 first team in Division II.
