The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets (4-4) got back to .500 by going 2-1 last week, thanks to some solid setting by Cooper Carpenter and hitting by Parker Gantt, who racked up kills in each match.
The Jackets started the week with a 3-1 win over Licking Heights (3-2) on March 23. Mount Vernon took control early with a 25-18 win in the first set. The Hornets bounced back in the second set to squeak by with a 25-22 win to avoid a sweep. However, the rest of the way it was all Mount Vernon with a convincing 25-17 set three victory and a 25-20 win to close out the match.
Gantt led the Jackets with 21 kills, one ace, one block and nine digs. Carpenter had 42 assists, three digs, two aces and three kills. Zack Karns had 16 kills, two aces, one block and a dig. Hunter Trace had a solid match defensively with 10 digs to go with four kills, three assists and three aces. Ethan Cline recorded three kills, one assist, three aces and six digs. Dash Lepley had eight digs and a kill.
On March 25, against undefeated St. Xavier (7-0), Mount Vernon was swept 3-0 by set scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-22.
Gantt led the offense with 19 kills, one block and a pair of digs. Carpenter recorded 23 assists, seven digs, one ace and two kills. Karns had four kills, one ace, four blocks and a dig. Trace had nine digs, two assists, one ace and a pair of kills. Cline had six digs and Dash Lepley recorded five digs.
The Yellow Jackets rebounded with a 3-1 victory over St. Francis DeSales (3-2), also on March 25. Mount Vernon won the first set 25-23, then lost the second set 25-23, showing that the 3-1 score was closer than it seemed. MV bounced back and took set three by a score of 25-19 and set four 25-22.
Gantt posted a match-high 21 kills and 14 digs. Carpenter had another outstanding game setting with 39 assists, two kills, one block and six digs. Karns had 11 kills and four blocks. Layne Kuhlman had four blocks in the win to go with three kills and a dig. Dash Lepley recorded a pair of assists and eight digs. Cline had a great day serving with six aces, and also put up five kills, four blocks and five digs to stuff the stat sheet.
Mount Vernon had a match against St. Edward scheduled for that day but it was postponed due to a power outage. The makeup date has yet to be determined.
