Hilliard Darby hasn't had much luck against Olentangy recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Braves at 6:45 p.m.
On Tuesday, Hilliard Darby came up short against Dublin Jerome and fell 3-1.
Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14.
Meanwhile, Olentangy had to endure a four-match losing streak, but that streak is no more. They won by a set and slipped past Marysville 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Braves have posted since September 6th.
Olentangy took Marysville into a fifth set where they got it done with a four-point win. The match finished with set scores of 25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 23-25, 15-11.
Olentangy's win came from a few key players Hilliard Darby will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Maya Soungpradith, who had 28 digs and one assist. She is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 12 or more in each of the last nine games she's played. Another player making a difference was Sophia Segelhorst, who had 19 digs and three aces.
Olentangy's win bumped their record up to 10-8. As for Hilliard Darby, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-8.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's match: Hilliard Darby has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 9 aces per game. However, it's not like Olentangy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hilliard Darby beat Olentangy 3-1 in their previous matchup back in September. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Braves' Alivia Franzel, who had ten digs and three aces. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Franzel? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
