Titans Finish 14-9 With First District Finals Appearance in 37 Years
SAINT BERNARD, Ohio - St Bernard-Elmwood Place Jr/Sr High School reached its first volleyball district final in 37 years, completing a postseason run that ended Saturday, Oct. 31, with a district runner-up award. The Titans finished the season 14-9.
The season began with four consecutive victories, one of the program’s best starts in decades, before a loss to Fayetteville-Perry ended that opening streak. The early success introduced the qualities that would carry the Titans through the fall: scoring contributions throughout the lineup and a willingness to keep competing regardless of the opponent or score.
An Aug. 31 sweep of Finneytown showed how that balance worked. The Titans won 25-22, 25-13, 25-22, pairing their attack with quick floor defense to handle two close sets. Between those narrow finishes, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place created separation in the second set through serving pressure and steady ball distribution. Winning the third by three points required the Titans to finish another competitive stretch rather than coast through the closing set.
Against North College Hill, the Titans delivered another straight-set victory, 25-9, 25-14, 25-21. They totaled 25 kills with eight attack errors on 58 attempts, along with 24 assists, 24 service aces and 20 digs. Contributions came from across the lineup, while the final set demanded a response to a closer challenge after two decisive wins.
The postseason carried St. Bernard-Elmwood Place farther than any Titans team in nearly four decades before Fort Recovery stopped the run in the district final. Fort Recovery won 3-0, taking the sets 25-14, 25-7, 25-7. The decisive finish left the Titans one victory short of a district championship, but with a runner-up award the players valued.
For a tight-knit senior class, the ending was bittersweet. Their final season raised the program’s profile and established a standard the returning players now look to build upon. Those returners move forward with firsthand experience of a district finals run and the shared responsibility of sustaining the competitive spirit and balanced contributions that helped make it possible.
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