Springs Valley Community High School

The Springs Valley volleyball team picked up four more wins on Saturday, sweeping its way through the 2023 Leslie Akers Classic. The Blackhawks took on Forest Park, Eastern Greene, Austin, and Edgewood, beating them all in two sets. They opened the day against Forest Park, beating the Rangers 25-21, 25-13. Molly Tucker had a strong performance in that match, recording eight digs and connecting on seven of her eight serve attempts. Eastern Greene was Springs Valley's next foe. The Blackhawks defeated the Thunderbirds 25-16, 25-9. Bella Nottger was a force against the T-Birds, picking up six kills on 10 attempts as well as six blocks and a dig. The senior also had two aces on nine serve attempts with just one error. The Blackhawks rounded out pool play against Austin, beating the Eagles 25-19, 25-8. Leigh Carnes was significant against Austin, going for seven kills on 12 attempts. She also had 10 assists and four digs, then also contributed nine aces on 15/16 serving. In the championship match the Blackhawks took on Class 3A Edgewood, the same team that they played in the 2022 championship match that was a three-set instant classic. This time around there was little to no drama as the Blackhawks dominated the Mustangs 25-19, 25-8. Maddie Carnes was in rare form as the Blackhawks claimed the trophy, killing seven of her nine attacks in the match while also recording 18 assists, eight digs, and just one serve error on nine attempts. The final victory gave Springs Valley (10-1, 1-0 PLAC) its second consecutive Leslie Akers Classic championship and also improved its winning streak to 10 consecutive matches. The Blackhawks will try to make it 11 on Tuesday when they travel to West Washington.