“We grinded really hard in the summer,” Trainer said. “We put it on the Springfield teams and I knew we had something special going into the season.”
The Cougars lived up to the hype, going 20-1 and winning the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division championship for the second time in three seasons.
“It’s honestly been a great season,” said senior setter Devyn Williams. “I’m having so much fun with my teammates on and off the court. It’s really been amazing for my senior year. I can’t say enough good things.”
The Cougars were also ranked No. 1 in the state for the first time in school history, staying atop the poll for four straight weeks.
“It’s a special group,” Trainer said. “There are eight of them that play, but there’s 14 on the bench and they all celebrate the little victories just like the big ones.”
Now, Kenton Ridge has its sights set on a deep tournament run. The top-seeded and D-IV second-ranked Cougars (20-1) play eighth-seeded Bethel (13-10) in a Division IV district semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Troy High School. The winner will play either No. 2 Bellefontaine (15-6) or No. 12 Urbana (6-16) in a district final game at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at Troy.
“We’ll take every game one step at a time,” Williams said. “If we play our game, I think we’ll do the best that we can.”
One of the biggest keys to the program’s success has been the weight room, Trainer said.
“The girls got in the weight room these last four years and you can see that we just outlast people on the court,” Trainer said.
Kenton Ridge started the season 17-0, earning key victories over London, Bellefontaine and Jonathan Alder. They lost for the first time this season against D-IV No. 10 London in four sets on Oct. 3, but won three straight matches to end the regular season.
“This group of girls has been really fun,” said junior outside hitter Annie Fincham. “I think our team has a lot of desire to win and we push each other the best we can to try to make each other great. We have a great group of girls that all get along. There’s no drama at all.”
On the court, the Cougars have two of the “most dynamic” hitters in Ohio in Fincham and senior Annie Shaffer, Trainer said. Fincham, the CBC Kenton Trail Division Player of the Year, leads the CBC with 321 kills, while Shaffer ranks fifth with 286 kills. Freshman middle blocker Cali Arthur ranks fifth in the CBC with 46 blocks and sophomore middle blocker JJ Davis ranks second in the CBC with 55 aces.
A year ago, the Cougars went 21-5 and advanced to a D-II district final game, falling to Hamilton Badin. Davis, Fincham and Trainer were all a part of the Cougars softball team that advanced to the D-II state semifinals last spring. They know what it takes to make a deep tournament run.
“We’re taking it one game at a time,” Trainer said. “Whoever shows up on game day is going to get the best that we’ve got. I like our chances.”
As the OHSAA expanded volleyball to seven divisions this fall, Kenton Ridge moved down to D-IV. The Cougars are seeking their first trip to the state final four since 1993. They were state runner-up in 1992.
“We have fun in the gym,” Trainer said. “I think that’s what’s making it last. We’re all enjoying it.”
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