Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

When you have a tough leader, it’s easy to see why your team plays tough.
Despite a hard collision with teammate Lydia Hannan, Peighton Rowe played through pain and showed her toughness and it inspired the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers to an Ohio Valley Conference volleyball win on Tuesday.
Ironton lost 24-25 and 18-25 to start the game, but Rowe and Hannan collided in the second set and the Lady Fighting Tigers won three straight sets, 26-24, 25-14 and 15-13 in the tiebreaker.
“Peighton played through so much adversity tonight and didn’t want to come out of the game,” said Ironton coach Beth Campbell. “She is a true definition of the word ‘tough.’”
Riley Schreck had 13 points including four aces, Rowe 12 points, Samantha LaFon 10 points and three aces, Kameren Arden and Devin Forest seven points each with Forest getting six clutch points in the fifth set, and Marybeth Burton added five points.
LaFon finished strong with 20 kills, Burton had 13 kills, Schreck eight kills, Forest four kills and Kayleigh Collins three.
Defensively, Rowe came up with 15 digs, Evan Williams and Schreck 13 each, LaFon 11 and Forest eight.
With Hannan out of the game, Arden stepped in as the setter and had a career-high 38 assists.
“Kameren did a tremendous job getting the ball directly to her hitters. She is scrappy and takes charge as our team quarterback,” said Campbell.
Chesapeake was led by Kayla Jackson with 10 points and three aces, Blake Anderson had 11 points, Faith Fletcher 10 points, Corinne Ferguson eight, Mollie Watts seven and Shari Ervin four.
Ironton won the jayvee match 25-22, 15-25 and 25-16 as Lydia Freeman had 11 points, Kirsten Williams eight, Isabel Morgan seven, Emily Campbell five, Sidney Douglas four and Teegan Carpenter two.
Morgan Wronlewski had 11 points, Leah Shields nine, Ashley Tiller eight, Rileigh Brammer five and Allison Plantz one to pace Chesapeake.
Ironton visits Gallipolis on Thursday.