Photo by Kim North Union Local’s Brooklyn Burley, center, dives to return a shot from West Muskingum during the third set Wednesday night against West Muskingum in Ohio Division V Eastern District sectional tournament finals inside ‘The Hangar’ on the Union Local Schools campus. Looking on are teammates Ameera Saunders, left, and Cassidee Collins (5). The Jets advanced to the district semis with a 25-13, 25-12 and 25-18 sweep of the Tornadoes.

MORRISTOWN — Union Local made quick work of visiting West Muskingum Wednesday night in an Ohio Division V Eastern District sectional tournament finals. The top-seeded Jets (20-2) soared to a 25-13, 25-12 and 25-18 sweep of the Tornadoes inside ‘The Hangar’ on the Union Local Schools campus.

The match took a mere 59 minutes and advanced Union Local to the district semifinals against fourth-seeded Navarre Fairless, a winner over visiting No. 11 Buckeye Local, 25-12, 25-11, 25-10, also on Wednesday. That match is to be played on Monday at 6 at a site to be determined by OHSAA officials. The other semifinal pits No. 2 Coshocton against No. 5 Martins Ferry, which stunned No. 3 Tuscarawas Valley in a five-set thriller, also on Wednesday in Zoarville.

“There was no funk tonight after winning the OVAC Class 4A title on Saturday,” Union Local head coach Kaye Sechrest said. “The girls came to play tonight. They were ready.”

Sechrest thought there might be a little carryover from the win on Saturday, but she credited her seniors — Ella Pietranton, Olivia Wortman, Emma Yager and Cassidee Collins — for wanting another shot of playing in the state tournament.

“I’ve got four seniors that were on the 2022 team that made it to the (D-II) state tournament and they want another taste of what that is like,” Sechrest said. “I think they kept us focused tonight.”

The Jets led wire-to-wire in the first set, using a 5-0 run to break open a 7 -6 game. They tallied 12 of the final 16 points for the win.

In the second set, West Muskingum, the No. 6 seed, held a 3-1 early advantage, but Union Local seven straight points for an 8-4 lead. Then, after the Tornadoes scored a fourth point, the Jets turned it on with a 10-0 run that blew the game wide-open and cruised to the win.

The third set was knotted nine times — the last at 18 — before the hosts rattled off the final seven points for the sweep.

The Jets posted some large numbers with 44 digs, 38 kills, 37 assists and a dozen aces.

Olivia Wortman charted 11 kills, while Laken Vinskovich added seven digs, six kills and a pair of blocks. Delaney Butler chipped in 17 assists, one more than Alayna Logan who also recorded three aces. Brooklyn Burley donated eight digs; Ella Pietranton four aces and Myha Martin three aces.

The seniors collected their 83rd career victory against 18 defeats.