'I'm hoping this will be a really memorable experience for everyone'

What started as a crazy idea from Calvert seniors Claire Schoenberger and Scarlett Faber, it turned into a whole event that will bring the Tiffin community together for high-level volleyball and for raising money for FACT (Financial Aid for Cancer Treatment) in Seneca County.After months of planning by both volleyball coaches Lori Rombach (Calvert) and Hope Boes (Columbian), along with each Athletic Director – Adam Smith (Calvert) and Bill Beaston (Columbian) – Spike Night is set for Monday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the JV match between Calvert and Columbian at Heidelberg's football field – Hoernemann Stadium.Then the varsity will play right after and then added to the festivities is a college match involving the University of Findlay vs. Heidelberg at 8 p.m.All of the money raised Monday will go to FACT.There will be food trucks, concessions stands, a T-shirt sale, bake sale, basket raffle, a dash for cash and a 50/50 drawing. It is $8 for adults and all students get in free. Cash only sales at the gate and no passes will be accepted.And … oh yeah … good volleyball to watch."It started with two of our seniors Claire Schoenberger and Scarlett Faber. They came to me and said: 'Coach, we want to have an outdoor volleyball game for Ace Out (Cancer).' I was like that would be awesome, so I started helping find out where to go and who to call, made phone call after phone call, trying to find a place where we could rent a court. I found somewhere we could have a net delivered, but it was like $5,000 to rent it. I hit every road block, so I didn't think it was going to happen. "I called Jason Miller (Heidelberg volleyball coach and Black Swamp Director) and told him I got a crazy quote for a net, but he gave me a couple people to get in contact with but then about 24 hours later he called me back and said: 'I've got a crazy idea ... what do you think if Heidelberg and Findlay jumps on the event with you?' Plus Heidelberg has a mobile net system we could use."After the planning stages, things came together. Heidelberg's Hoernemann Stadium will undergo quite a change for set up before Monday night as the net will have to be brought to the stadium by forklifts."With our gym floor, we have what I call a ram board, we use it to cover our floor when we're having events. So we have the sub-floor and we'll have to lay that down so the ram board will go down on top of the turf because the turf is still too squishy for the sport court," Miller said about the logistics of making Monday night happen. "Then we're going to lay our floor tarp on top of that so it kind of locks everything in place and then we'll lay the sport court on top of that. Basically we're going to set it up on the 50-yard line – it won't be in the middle of the field – it'll be right up next to the track so it's closer to the bleachers. "We'll put portable bleachers on the ends, the teams will sit on the far side, so it will all be open to the stands. We're renting a 13x14 foot video board, so we'll have intros, we're gonna try to do it up right, Lori has an airplane for a flyby, and fireworks, so we're hoping it will not only be a volleyball match, it will be an event." As far as the high school volleyball match Monday, both teams possess all-Ohio talent and are riding some momentum. Calvert – the No. 1 team in the state in Division VII – is 13-0, dropping only one set this season so far. The Senecas returned all starters from a state final appearance last season."When Lori first brought this up, I thought it was a great idea and would be a lot of fun," Boes said. "I knew my girls would love it. Plus we're doing everything for FACT, so I knew my girls would love it and they're super excited to be playing outside, under the lights, playing on a different floor … just the whole thing."Looking at Calvert, yes, they're a great team. They have a great program and we're excited to play them because it helps us get better playing that high level of competition. Of course, they do look forward to this match every year because they're friends. Tiffin is a small town and everyone knows everyone, so it's cool to see them all do this. I'm excited to see how we do and I believe it will be a good match like it always is."On the flip side, Columbian (9-4) lost one senior off of a Division III regional semifinal appearance last year, but has taken some time to jell and get into the swing of things. But after a recent stretch of sweeps, the Tornadoes are riding high into Monday with a lot of talent of their own, including Grand Canyon commit Kaela Jenkins."They have some momentum right now. They are doing a lot of great things right now and we know they are battle tested playing many five-set matches already this season," Rombach said about the Tornadoes. "Calvert-Columbian is an awesome rivalry because a lot of the girls know each other and a large percentage of the girls have played for Calvert before going to Columbian, so it will be a friendly competition."Now, of course we want to win and I know they're thinking the same, but it will be a fun night for the kids to compete."Similarly to the Honor Games that happens in the spring between the two schools' baseball and softball teams to raise money for charities in Seneca County, the two schools are once again coming together for the community for a good cause – and add in the two colleges as well (see the preview in Saturday's A-T/Courier). Regardless of the volleyball matches, it will be a spectacle and an experience no one will forget."At all of our meetings about this night, we always started and ended it the same way, which was to have a competitive match, but at the end of the day, we're giving the athletes a great experience and hopefully raising a lot of money for the local non-profit and really that is the genesis of what we're doing," Rombach said. "We want to honor the people that have been affected by cancer, raise money for a local non-profit and create some great memories. "We're just going to show up, compete and do our best. I'm hoping this will be a really memorable experience for everyone."