TOP OF THE CROP
Volleyball
1 (1): Avon Lake 18-1
2 (2): Avon 17-1
3 (3): Olmsted Falls 14-4
4 (4): Bay 13-3
5 (5): Elyria Catholic 15-4
6 (7): Westlake 11-7
7 (8): Columbia 18-1
8 (6): Rocky River 12-5
9 (9): Amherst 8-10
10 (NR): Open Door 15-0
Dropped out: Firelands 11-6 (9)
Watch list: North Olmsted 9-11, Wellington 8-9
Crop comments: Avon Lake is still rolling following wins over Amherst and Elyria. The Shoregals have three conference games left to round the regular season, beginning with Olmsted Falls on Oct. 5. … Avon has faced some tough challengers in the Crop vying for the No. 2 spot, but the Eagles have fended them off. Win a win over Bay on Oct. 3, Avon is on a 10-game win streak. … Olmsted Falls rebounded nicely from a loss to Avon last week. The Bulldogs earned a win over Medina Highland on Oct. 2, the team that handed Avon Lake its only loss. … The GLC West could come down to the game on Oct. 5 between Bay and Elyria Catholic. The Rockets beat Westlake late last week, but came up short on the road at Avon. Elyria Catholic is playing well with a five-game winning streak. The Panthers defeated North Olmsted on Oct. 3 to set up the key matchup with Bay. … Westlake came through with a road win over Rocky River on Oct. 3 to split the season series. The Demons have had some tough losses this season, but they’re hanging around after the rivalry victory. … Columbia has reached No. 7 for the first time this season. The Raiders face Firelands on Oct. 5, and a win clinches the outright conference title. They’ve been dominant so far this season at 18-1 and 11-0 in the LC8. … Rocky River tumbles to No. 8 after the loss to Westlake. The Pirates have been bitten by the injury bug, and recent results reflect that. … Amherst continues to improve, but the Comets had a gauntlet last week, facing Avon Lake and Olmsted Falls. They picked up a nonconference win over Hathaway Brown, and now they turn their attention to Elyria on Oct. 5. … For the first time this season, Open Door appears in the rankings. The Patriots have had a strong season, including multiple wins over LC8 teams. It was a rough week for Firelands as the Falcons fell to North Olmsted over the weekend, and lost to Wellington at home on Oct. 3. The schedule doesn’t get easier on the road at Columbia. … Although SWC teams North Ridgeville and Midview are deserving of making the watch list, this is a time to showcase other teams that steadily improved this season. Both North Olmsted and Wellington defeated Firelands recently, and have made strides since the beginning of the season.
