LIBERTY TWP. — The Fairfield High School girls volleyball team flipped the script Monday night.
After letting one slip away against Hamilton during the regular season, the Indians regrouped, refocused and returned the favor when it mattered most — beating the Big Blue 3-1 in a competitive Division I postseason opener at Lakota East.
Fairfield (12-11) advances to face Mason in the on Wednesday at 5 p.m., while Hamilton ended its season at 11-10 under first-year coach Veda Reister.
“This one in particular was a big deal to us,” Fairfield coach Jessi Grimes said. “Losing in five to them during the regular season has been hanging over us. It fueled us and motivated us, but it also made us overthink. I feel like we put a lot of pressure on ourselves because it was such a big deal. So that win means even more now — we were able to finish.”
The Indians’ “next ball” mantra carried them through momentum swings. Hamilton took the first set 25-23 before Fairfield grabbed the second set 25-21, the third set 25-23 and the final set 25-20 to clinch it.
“It’s definitely one of our catchphrases — our reset phrase out on the court,” Grimes said. “It’s not soccer where you can hold someone to zero points. They’re going to score. Hamilton’s a GMC team — they’re competitive and good volleyball players. So it really is about focusing and treating every rally as a new opportunity.”
The rematch embodied everything about postseason volleyball — long rallies, nerves and emotion between two Greater Miami Conference programs.
“Hamilton has done such an amazing job with their program,” Grimes said. “That’s years in the making. It’s the best they’ve been in a long time. It’s fun to have that Fairfield-Hamilton rivalry back.”
Hamilton’s growth this fall under Reister was evident in the fight they showed.
“I think this season meant everything — both to me and to the girls,” Reister said. “We just talked about it in the locker room. One of the girls said, ‘We never expected to have the kind of success we did this season.’
“They thanked us coaches for coming in, changing things up, and giving them the best season they could have hoped for.”
Reister, who took over the program in the spring, called the year “empowering.”
“Coming in as a brand-new coach, you never know — am I going to be any good at this? Am I doing right by these girls?” Reister said. “That was all I wanted to do. And this group showed me that I am capable, that we can do this together.”
Hamilton graduates a senior group that made up the core of its lineup, but Reister said their legacy will set the tone for the future. Madison Bladen, Madelynn Markowski, Kennedy Navey, Emili Schappacher and Korrine Jones are Big Blue’s seniors.
“We didn’t have one senior who wasn’t a starter,” Reister said. “We’re going to be hurting, but the girls want to carry on their legacy. That’s going to drive them even more next year.”
Fairfield, meanwhile, moves on to face a Mason squad that has long set the bar in the region.
“We have our work cut out for us, for sure,” Grimes said. “We’re going to have to throw everything at them, be more consistent than we were tonight, and be smart on offense. They don’t have a lot of weaknesses, so we’ll have to capitalize on every opportunity.”
For Fairfield, Monday’s victory wasn’t just about advancing — it was about reclaiming confidence and rediscovering belief.
“What a match,” Grimes said. “What a night.”
