Utica has been on the road for four straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will host the Licking Valley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
On Tuesday, Utica didn't have quite enough to beat Heath and fell 3-2.
In a back-and-forth that saw neither team win consecutive sets, Utica sadly dropped the once that decided the match. The final score came out to 25-20, 20-25, 25-11, 14-25, 15-13.
Despite their defeat, Utica saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Madison Yates, who had 21 digs, was perhaps the best of all. Yates is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 11 or more in the last six games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Callie Baker, who had 13 digs.
Meanwhile, Licking Valley came up short against Watkins Memorial on Tuesday and fell 3-1. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Licking Valley was was forced to take the loss, but they sure made Watkins Memorial work for it, especially in the fourth set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-21, 25-19, 18-25, 28-26.
Utica's loss dropped their record down to 11-10. As for Licking Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-10.
Utica came up short against Licking Valley in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 3-1. Will Utica have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
