COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pleasant’s perfect season now carries a fourth straight district championship. The top-seeded Spartans swept No. 4 seed Utica 3-0 on Thursday, October 29, to win the Division V district title at Ohio Dominican University’s Alumni Hall, according to the Marion Star.
Pleasant (25-0) has yet to drop a set all season, and Thursday’s final followed the pattern the Spartans have set all fall: fast starts, long scoring runs and no room for the opponent to recover. Utica finished its season 14-11 after reaching its first district final since 2019, the Marion Star reported.
The Spartans set the tone immediately in the first set, racing to leads of 8-0, 13-2 and 19-5 before closing it out 25-10. “We really focus on bringing a lot of energy just so we can stay up and positive and get starts on teams so we can keep it going because momentum keeps going through the whole game,” Pleasant senior setter Macy Hamper told the Marion Star.
Pleasant coach Kory Ute told the Marion Star the quick start was exactly what the week of practice had aimed for. “We did better. We had a rough week at practice trying to put all the little pieces in place,” Ute told the Marion Star. “It’s always important in a tournament situation that you try to get ahead because you’re going to have bumps along the way.”
The bumps never really came. The second set was tied 5-5 before Pleasant scored eight of the next 11 points, forced a Utica timeout at 18-11 and finished 25-18. In the third, the Spartans led 5-2 and stretched it to 12-5; Utica climbed within 14-10 before an 8-0 Pleasant run sealed the sweep, 25-11, the Marion Star reported.
For Utica, the loss closed a season built around nine seniors. “We have nine seniors and they are cohesively tied together. There’s a huge bond,” Utica coach Lisa Ritzer told the Marion Star. “They wanted it so bad for each other. It’s been seven years. 2019 was the last appearance in the district final.”
Pleasant senior libero Kam Roberts told the Marion Star the unbeaten Spartans are aiming past the district round this time. “We’re leaving everything out on the court. We know this is our last chance to do it. We haven’t done it the past two years (which is win a state championship),” Roberts told the Marion Star. “I think we’re hungry for it this year.”
What happens next is a regional semifinal back at a familiar floor: Pleasant faces Centerburg (23-2) at 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, at the O-rena at Ontario High School. Centerburg, the No. 3 seed, beat No. 7 North Union 3-1 in Thursday’s first match at Ohio Dominican, 25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19, according to the Marion Star. Pleasant was ranked No. 7 in Division V in the last state coaches poll, and the winner advances toward a possible meeting with No. 1 Coldwater or No. 3 Huron, who play in the other regional semifinal at Ontario.