Topsy-Turvy Tuesday

Tuesday's District Semi-Finals featured some high-quality matches that changed the trajectory of the race to state! Here's a look at some of the highlights:

• #5 Marion Local ousts #4 New Bremen: During the regular season meeting, New Bremen won a tight five-game battle, and tonight's contest was what we have come to expect from the MAC. A five-game thriller that ended with Marion Local advancing to District Finals Saturday, 26-24, 26-28, 25-5, 23-25, 15-11. While New Bremen was our pick to head to state in D4, this one was always going to be a toss-up. For New Bremen Coach Lisa Thobe, it was another heartbreaking defeat that squelched her opportunity to take a team at least to regionals and perhaps vie for a state championship. For Marion Local, it is gives them a clear path to state to defend last year's title. I was at this match tonight at New Bremen and the atmosphere was electric! Great match, but ML stepped it up and New Bremen was clearly intimidated by Marion Local's tradition.
• #13 Convoy Crestview will face Marion Local Saturday after defeating #27 Delphos St. John's in five. Crestview traditionally makes it to District Finals, but their MAC foe always proves too tough. Look for Marion Local to head to regionals and breeze to state.
• #8 Leipsic defeated Pandora-Gilboa tonight, but it wasn't easy. They needed five games to do it, 22-25, 25-19, 25-9, 23-25, 15-10.
• #25 St. Henry upset #10 Rockford Parkway in four games, 25-17, 25-19, 21-25, 29-27
• #3 Norwalk St. Paul handed #21 Monroeville a four-game defeat
• Big upset at Old Fort tonight as #22 Tiffin Calvert continues their series of upsets and takes down #7 Hopewell-Loudon in five, 25-17, 16-25, 16-25, 26-24, 15-11.
• Antwerp upset #24 Edon in five games
• #12 Milan Edison couldn't get over the hump against #11 Huron, as Huron defeats them in four games.
• #23 Riverdale over Lakota in four.
• #7 Orrville easily handled #4 Smithville and will face #3 West Salem Northwestern on Saturday.
• #17 Celina and #24 Tiffin Columbian both won and will face-off on Saturday.
• #20 Tuscarawas Valley took-out #19 Buckeye Trail, while #8 Monroe Central was upset by unranked Ridgewood in five games.
• #24 Evergreen is out of the tourney after being upset by Liberty Center.