The Fairfield Trojans volleyball team’s season came to an end Tuesday night, October 21, with a straight-set loss to West Liberty in the Class 3A Region 7 Quarterfinal. The Comets advanced to the regional semifinals with set scores of 25-22, 25-16, and 25-23.
The two teams previously met at the Williamsburg Tournament earlier in the season, where Fairfield managed to take a set before falling in three sets (14-21, 21-18, 15-9). Tuesday’s rematch proved to be another closely contested battle, particularly in the first and third sets.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
The opening set saw both teams trade points early, tying at 6-6 and again at 16-16. Fairfield grabbed a 20-18 lead before West Liberty rallied to even it at 21-21, then claimed the set 25-22.
Set two started strong for Fairfield, which jumped out to an 8-2 lead and extended it to 11-4. However, West Liberty surged back to tie it at 15-15 and controlled the rest of the frame, winning 25-16.
In the third set, Fairfield fell behind early, trailing 9-3 and 16-9. The Trojans mounted a determined rally late but couldn’t quite complete the comeback, falling 25-23 despite a strong finish.
“We started out and hung right with West Liberty in set one but just couldn’t put a few points together to close things out at the end,” said Head Coach Vicki Rebling. “Set two had another strong start, and we came on strong at the end of set three — just a little too late.”
Strong Individual Performances
Senior Faith Jones ran the offense with 29 assists, adding three kills. Junior Leah Helmick led the attack with 10 kills, while junior Natalie Steele contributed nine kills. Junior Jaden Haynes and senior Elyse Setterstrom each added four kills, senior Maddy Martin recorded two kills, and junior Bella Buckley added one.
Senior Isabel McCready anchored the back row with 24 digs, while senior Mallory Wigle added 11. Jones tallied 12 digs to go with her assists. At the net, Haynes, Martin, Jones, and Steele each registered a block.
Steele led from the service line with three aces, and Wigle added one. As a team, the Trojans served at an impressive 91.2%, maintaining consistency throughout the match despite 19 team kill errors proving costly against the experienced Comets.
Honoring the Seniors
The Trojans bid farewell to a strong senior class that helped guide the team to another winning season: Emmelia Miller, Maddy Martin, Faith Jones, Iris Lane, Mallory Wigle, Elyse Setterstrom, and Isabel McCready. Their leadership, consistency, and effort — both on and off the court — leave a lasting impact on the Fairfield volleyball program.
Several players also reached impressive milestones. Jones finished the season with 751 assists and closed her career with over 1,400 assists and 550 digs. Steele recorded 217 kills and 38 aces, Haynes led the team with 42 blocks, and McCready finished with 445 digs, surpassing 900 career digs.
Looking Ahead
Despite the tough ending, Rebling expressed pride in her team’s 22-13 campaign and optimism for the future.
“We’ve had a really nice season overall across the entire program,” Rebling said. “It was not the way we wanted last night to end, obviously.”
“I am very proud of the team and how they played as a team all year,” she continued. “Everyone contributed to our successful season. They used their talents collectively and helped each other grow all year. I thank each player and send a special thanks out to the senior group. They are amazing people.”
Looking ahead, Rebling said the program’s focus remains on growth and competitiveness.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to prepare our players to be competitive for the future of Fairfield Volleyball and build upon the experience of our players and their skills and abilities,” Rebling said. “Every year brings new opportunities.”
West Liberty advances to face eighth-ranked Mid-Prairie in the regional semifinals.
