Volleyball Recap: Dynamic Duo of Payton Strickler and Haley Stepp Lead Vermilion to Victory

Vermilion lost to Margaretta back in September, but they didn't allow them the same satisfaction on Thursday. The Sailors came out on top against the Polar Bears by a score of 3-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Sailors.

While Vermilion might've won, it sure wasn't easy: Margaretta scored at least 21 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 25-21.

Payton Strickler

Digs (Career)

10/02/25 @ Margaretta	7
09/11/25 vs Margaretta	4
09/09/25 @ Bellevue	4
09/02/25 @ Open Door Christian	4
09/27/25 @ Medina	3

Vermilion was led to victory by Haley Stepp and Payton Strickler. Stepp had 14 digs and two aces, while Strickler had seven digs. Those seven digs gave Strickler a new career-high.

They weren't the only good servers: Vermilion was lethal from the service line and finished the match with ten aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least ten aces in three consecutive matchups.

Margaretta's loss came despite strong showings from Lucy Edwards and Kenadie Saylor. Edwards had six digs and four aces, while Saylor had 11 digs, nine kills, and one block. Saylor is on a roll when it comes to kills, as she's now had seven or more in each of the last 11 games she's played.

Vermilion's victory bumped their record up to 7-12. As for Margaretta, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 6-13.

Vermilion wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 3-1 win against Lorain on the 4th. As for Margaretta, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 3-1 defeat against Old Fort on the 4th.