The Western Brown Lady Broncos have captured yet another SBAAC American Division volleyball title, marking the program’s 11th league title over the past 12 years.

 

By Wade Linville – 

The Western Brown Lady Broncos have done it again, staking claim to yet another Southern Buckeye Athletic/Academic Conference American Division championship volleyball award to add to their school’s trophy case. Since 2006, the Western Brown High School varsity volleyball program has brought home 11 league titles in 12 years, entering their final league match of the regular season with a flawless SBAAC American Division record of 9-0.
They would clinch the league title with a road victory over the New Richmond Lady Lions on Oct. 10, lifting them two wins ahead of the Goshen Lady Warriors who stood in second place in league standings at a 7-2 league record going into their final match of the season.
The Lady Broncos haven’t lost in a single set since their week-long break for the Brown County Fair, cruising to 3-0 match victories over Georgetown, Wilmington, Batavia, and New Richmond before capping off their regular season with a league contest against Clinton Massie scheduled for Oct. 12.
Following the Oct. 10 win over New Richmond, the Lady Broncos held an overall record of 14-7 and were on a eight-game winning streak.
Western Brown head volleyball coach Carla Fite felt confident in her Lady Broncos with the regular season winding down, wrapping up one of the stiffest regular season schedules the program has seen in recent years.
“This is the toughest schedule we’re had in years. Our schedule has been very, very challenging with teams from Ross, Milford, West Clermont, and Little Miami,” said Fite. “I feel pretty confident.”
This marks Fite’s seventh year as head of the Western Brown High School varsity volleyball program.
Playing significant roles in the Lady Broncos’ success this season have been an outstanding crew of senior leaders. Senior Tessa Pinkerton has once again been the Lady Broncos’ attack leader with a total of 235 kills for the season, pushing hard to top her own school record of 311 kills in a single season that she set as a junior last year.
You may have needed a backhoe if you hoped to keep up with Western Brown senior Mary Sizer when it came to digs during the regular season. The senior libero held a total of more than 285 digs entering the final match of the regular season, but that comes to no surprise. After all, Sizer held the school record in career digs coming into the 2017 fall season with a total of 1,163 and last year as a junior led the team in digs with an impressive single-season total of 466.
Western Brown’s senior setter Emily Cooper has once again been the assist leader for the Lady Broncos, racking up more than 475 assists prior to the final match of the regular season. She holds the school record in assists for a single season with 739.
Also aiding in the Lady Broncos’ success this season have been seniors Rylie Young, Cana Kleemeyer, Rachel Kuttler, Karley Cornett, Sam Green, and Riese Peters; juniors Lexi Wallace, Carson Jones, Lizzy Black, and Morgan Back; and freshman Rylee Jones.
The Lady Broncos are the No. 22 seed for this year’s Southwest District Division I Sectional Tournament at Sycamore and will face No. 11 seed Turpin (10-9) in round one of the sectional tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 17.