COLUMBIANA OH- Crestview is in the middle of the best stretch of years any athletics program has ever had in the school system. The Rebels have won their fourth straight district championship. No other program has done that before at Crestview. This year might have been the hardest one yet. Four state ranked teams found themselves in Grand Valley. Crestview was the last one standing. With wins over Lakeview and Kirtland, Crestview is officially used to playing high level volleyball. Crestview has advanced into the regional semifinals where they’ll meet Lake Catholic in Barberton on Thursday. That game is scheduled for 6:00.
Rebels head coach Alisha Auer was kind enough to sit down with Anthony Hartwig and recap their district run in detail, and preview their upcoming regional matchup. They also talk about some key under the radar players who have stepped up big in the district tournament, and all season. Check out the latest Coach’s Corner with Alisha Auer.
ORWELL OH- The Orwell district was arguably the hardest volleyball bracket in the state of Ohio in Division III. The list of teams featured four state ranked teams who each had a legitimate chance at winning a district title. In the end though it would come down to two teams who won district championships a season ago. Finding themselves in the same bracket this year, both Kirtland and Crestview knew there could only be one. Crestview was ranked 8th in the state, Kirtland was ranked 13th. The match lived up to what the rankings would make you expect with the Rebels and Hornets trading blows all night long. Eventually Crestview sophomore Abbey Emch would prove to have too much firepower for Kirtland to handle. Her efforts led the Rebels to a four set victory. (26-24 25-23 23-25 25-17)
Emch broke her second program record in two tournament rounds. After breaking the record for most total blocks in a game in the semifinals with 16, she broke the record for kills in a match with 34. She also had 24 digs to finish a massive double double. Grace Auer put together a triple double with at least 20 in three categories with 20 kills, 29 assists, and 25 digs. Lainy Auer also managed a double double with 24 assists, and 20 digs. Ashleigh Hodge led the Rebels in blocks on the night with 5.
For the fourth consecutive year the Rebels will advance to regional bracket in Barberton. They will be matched up with another state ranked opponent in the top team in the state of Ohio, Lake Catholic. That match is slated for Thursday at 6:00 in Barberton. The other end of the regional bracket is Waynedale vs Independence.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/4C81EA84-F11F-4254-8292-B1E9FE36C3C2-scaled-1.jpeg14472560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-30 18:24:472022-10-30 18:24:47EMCH’S RECORD BREAKING NIGHT LIFTS REBELS TO FOUR PEAT
ORWELL OH- As soon as the Orwell bracket came out for the Division III tournament everyone knew how tough it would be to get out of. The bracket featured 4 stats ranked teams. All four of those teams took care of business and made it to the district semifinals. It was set up for a great night in Grand Valley with back to back state ranked battles. The first of those was 8th ranked Crestview vs 9th ranked Lakeview. It lived up to the hype, but the Rebels made all the right plays down the stretch and won the match in four sets. (25-23 25-22 13-25 25-20)
Abbey Emch showed up big when her team needed her most. She finished with 23 kills on the night. She also managed 6 blocks against the strong Bulldog offense. Grace Auer had a triple double with 22 kills, 22 assists, and 16 digs. Lainy Auer had a double double with 18 assists and 17 digs. She also led the team in aces with 3.
Lakeview’s offensive leader Tara Lytle still put up 16 kills on the night trying to Will her team to victory. Reagan Price also finished with 16 kills on the night keeping the Bulldogs middle attack strong.
Crestview advances to the District Championship game in the Orwell bracket. They’ll be matched up with another state ranked opponent as they take on Kirtland on Saturday at 7:00 in Grand Valley High School.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9891E0A4-1922-4534-9C13-10DE9D8AA3E8.jpeg9431645Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-27 14:31:482022-10-27 14:31:48CRESTVIEW BREAKS OUT IN STATE RANKED MATCHUP
COLUMBIANA, OH- Coming into week 10, some teams have already locked down a spot in the playoffs, but for some, week 10 makes or breaks your season. That was the case for Crestview as they hosted Newton Falls Friday night. An outstanding running performance by Roclen Bettura and great defense helped propel the Rebels to a shutout victory over the Tigers, 20-0.
The Rebels came out flying with the run game and forced the Tigers on their heels. Bettura opened the scoring late in the first with a 2-yard run. On the ensuing drive for Newton Falls, the Rebels came up with a forced fumble and gave it right back to Bettura for his second score from 8 yards out to put the Rebels up 13-0. The pace would change as Crestview locked up the Tigers defense in the first half. But late in the third, Newton Falls would fumble once again which led to another touchdown for Bettura, this time from 18-yards out to ultimately put the game away.
Bettura finished with 136 yards rushing and 3 TDs on 25 carries. Dominic Yerkey added 5 carries for 41 yards, along with 4 receptions for 56 yards.
Looking forward, although the Rebels closed out the regular season with a victory, they will still have to wait until this weekend to see if their efforts were enough for them to earn a spot in the playoffs. YSN will have playoff games available with the Playoff Power Pass on October 28th.
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9F847FDB-63D8-4ADA-ACDE-A4D8EB40A33B.jpeg15352399Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-22 17:06:422022-10-22 17:06:42REBELS RUNNING THE RIGHT WAY
COLUMBIANA OH- Crestview Volleyball has seen a lot of records fall this season as they have stormed to a 20-2 record. In their sectional final against Waterloo on Thursday night they saw another record broken as Abbey Emch eclipsed the most kills any Rebel has had in a season. Emch now sits at 367 kills. The previous record was held by MacKenzie Daub at 362. The Rebels swept their way to victory. (25-4 25-3 25-3)
Emch led the offense with 12 kills on the night and also finished with 6 blocks, and 5 digs. Grace Auer found another double double with 11 kills, and 13 assists. Lainy Auer also had 13 assists on the night while adding 5 kills. Alyssa Smotherman’s serve was electric. She had 20 service points and 5 aces.
Crestview advances to the Grand Valley district semifinal where they’ll meet Lakeview. That game is slated for Wednesday at 6:00 at Grand Valley High School in Orwell.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/B86CD4CA-C297-47F2-AB7D-81446E506D8D-scaled-1.jpeg15332560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-21 01:29:572022-10-21 01:29:57MORE RECORDS FALL AS REBELS GO ON TO DISTRICTS
COLUMBIANA OH- Crestview didn’t miss a beat this season. Coming off a season where they were one of the most dominant programs around, they continued to roll in 2022. The Rebels finished with a 20-2 record on the year, and completed yet another MVAC championship. They didn’t lose a set inside of the conference. They lost 2 of their last 4 games though, raising some eye brows. But coach Auer didn’t panic, and neither did her team. They went right back to practice and are ready for a big tournament run. Crestview will play Waterloo in the sectional final on Thursday at 6:00.
Coach Alisha Auer took the time to talk to Anthony Hartwig about the upcoming tournament. They also recap the regular season, talk about the impressive bracket Crestview finds themselves in, and much more. Check out Episode 2 of coach’s corner with Alisha Auer only on YSN!
COLUMBIANA OH- Crestview has high hopes in this years OHSAA tournament. They know they have to take it one step at a time. They took care of step one on Tuesday as they swept Beachwood to advance to the sectional finals. (25-5 25-7 25-13)
Grace Auer led the offense this time around by collecting 14 kills on the night. She also finished with 6 assists, and 7 digs. Abbey Emch put in a solid 8 kills for the Rebels. She also had 7 digs, and served up 4 aces. Lainy Auer led the team in assists with 17.
Crestview advances to the sectional championship on Thursday against Waterloo. That game will be at Crestview and first serve is set for 6:00.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/8C6A2BD4-03B8-461B-A344-EFAC8135B997-scaled-1.jpeg16902560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-19 04:23:232022-10-19 04:23:23REBELS RIP OFF WIN TO OPEN TOURNAMENT
SALEM OH- Crestview has a tough stretch of games against Girard and Fitch in the last week. After some adversity, the Rebels got back to work, and on Thursday night they got back to their winning ways. The Rebels got a big sweep of Salem. (25-16 25-20 25-19)
Abbey Emch led the Rebels offense with 25 kills on the night. She also added a pair of aces. Grace Auer racked in yet another triple double finishing with 16 kills, 17 assists, and 14 digs. Lainy Auer led the team in setting putting up 19 assists.
Crestview closes out the regular season on Saturday as they host Boardman. The loss ends the regular season for Salem. They’ll open tournament play against West Branch next week.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/24B9F9C5-62FD-486D-AD3F-0B62DF322A5D-scaled-1.jpeg15982560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-14 12:24:182022-10-14 12:24:18REBELS RETURN TO THE WIN COLUMN
COLUMBIANA OH- It’s been an exciting time in Crestview for the soccer program. The Rebels are fresh off their best season in program history where they stormed their way to a state championship appearance. They won their fourth straight MVAC championship, and their second program district championship. Their senior class in 2022 accomplished a ton, but as is the case for everyone they had to graduate and say goodbye to the program. The big question this season was of course could the new senior class shape success the way they did the season before. Nick Novak has answered that with an emphatic yes. Novak has become one of the best players in the area. He’s staring down the barrel of a season that will feature a lot of postseason awards. Those accolades are part of the personal goals Nick has set for himself this season, and he well on his way.
In 14 games with stats recorded, Novak has netted 29 goals. If you do the math that is over 2 per match. He is incredibly hard to stop, and he makes his teammates better as well. With 22 assists on the year Novak has his hands in a total of 51 goals. To put that number in perspective, Crestview has scored 69 goals as a team. That’s 74% of the team goals to be responsible for in some way. You can tell why he’s is the conversation for Division III player of the year.
Novak took the time to talk with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig this week to talk about his senior year. They discuss the standard at Crestview, all the success the athletic department of the school has had, and much more. Check out the latest Crestview soccer Player Profile only on YSN!
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https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/37190163-A87F-47ED-BB94-FA3130ECDFEA-scaled-1.jpeg14452560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-13 19:25:132023-07-15 03:36:15NOVAK NETS IN SUCCESS
In a premier volleyball match on Monday night, The Austintown Fitch Falcons hosted The Crestview Rebels in a battle of volleyball juggernauts. Both teams came into the contest having surpassed the 15 win mark in the season already. Another similarity between the two programs, their last loss came to Girard. The Crestview Lady Rebels loss to The Lady Indians would snap a 56 match regular season winning streak by Crestview.
Young setters have made a massive impact on each side, with Alaina Auer for The Rebels and Rylie Simons for The Falcons, a couple freshmen that have stepped into a major role on a varsity squad. With plenty of height and athleticism surrounding the setters, a primetime match was set for the network!
Set 1 did not disappoint, as a back-and-forth battle ensued, with both teams jockeying for position and neither able to take a commanding lead. Drawing even several times throughout the match, it looked like the opening set may never end between two of the best under YSN coverage. However, “Jackpot” Jocelyn Jourdan was money on the attack, converting almost 50 percent of her swings into kills against The Rebels. Jumping on a late run, The Falcons were able to seal a Set 1 victory by six points.
The second set saw Austintown keep up the energy from the previous set. Scoring four straight out of the gate, Fitch was able to gain an early advantage on Crestview. Never giving in, The Lady Rebels fought hard and kept the set close; however, The Falcons never surrendered the lead once they went on their opening run, taking a 2-0 set lead with a seven point victory.
Needing to dig themselves out of a hole, The Rebels could not afford to drop another set if they had any hopes of winning the match. A momentum shift is exactly what Crestview forced in Set 3, taking a page out of The Falcons book, piling on some arly points to take a lead on Fitch. Despite Austintown tying the set at several points, even taking a lead in the later portion, The Lady Rebels gained a late advantage and rode it to a slim three-point victory.
With the match now 2-1 in favor of Fitch, Crestview looked to keep momentum on their side of the fence in Set 4. Rewinding back to the first set, The Falcons and Rebels went back to the heavyweight battle. With both teams exchanging emphatic kills on one another in between strong defensive stands. With Set 5 on the horizon, Fitch shut down the comeback trail for Crestview. Surviving a late push from The Rebels, Fitch capped off the match with a slim two-point Set 4 victory to seal the 3-1 win.
The loss is the first time The Rebels have suffered more than one loss in a season since 2020, as Crestview (18-2) will now travel to Salem (4-14) on Thursday, October 13th. The win by The Falcons would be number 100 in the career of Jody Bartlett at Austintown. Wasting little time after their win, Fitch (17-2) has a date with a fellow All American Conference (AAC) foe in The Howland Tigers (15-6) on Tuesday, October 11th.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/11DD2D99-5362-4937-891A-3DFDA9860EBB-scaled-1.jpeg14432560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-10-11 19:48:542022-10-11 19:48:54FITCH PUSHES BACK REBELS TO GIVE BARTLETT 100 WINS
