STORY BY ROB KISER - PIQUA DAILY CALL
Senior Night was already big for Piqua volleyball seniors Joni Barnett, Ashley Belisle, Cassi Curtis, Chelsea Hostetter, Sara Keck and Megan Reedy.

Playing Troy for second place in the GWOC North just added a little fuel to the fire.

But, the match became more meaningful with the events that transpired during the day at Piqua High School. Former Piqua standout athlete Sam Pearson, a 1998 Piqua High School graduate,  was killed in Iraq on Wednesday.

A moment of silence was held before the match and a tribute to Pearson was read.

“The team learned what had happened this afternoon,” Keck said after the Indians 25-18, 17-25, 25-20, 25-21 victory over the Lady Trojans gave Piqua a final regular season mark of 13-6 and 4-1 in the GWOC North. “We knew we had to win this match. We knew we had to win it for the (Pearson) family.”

The Lady Indians did just that and in doing so made a big statement.

Last Sunday, Piqua received the fourth seed in the Vandalia Division I sectional tournament pairings. Troy was the second seed and Greenville, who Piqua beat in three games Monday, was the third seed.

“It was like even though we hadn’t played either one of them, they were both ranked ahead of us,” Keck said. “That’s fine … we were the underdog. We showed them what we can do.”

As the Lady Indians have been doing for some time now. After starting 2-4, Piqua has now won 11 of its last 13 matches heading into the postseason.

The varsity opens sectional play at Vandalia at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against the Greenville-Trotwood winner.

The JVs lost in three games Thursday, losing leads in the second and third games in 26-24 losses.

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