ARCHBOLD WEATHER

AHS Volleyball Team Forfeits Eight Wins




A version of this article was posted to ArchboldBuckeye.com at 5 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 17.

With the stroke of a pen, the Archbold High School volleyball team forfeited eight victories after a violation of Ohio High School Athletic Association rules was discovered.

Prior to the Tuesday, Sept. 17 match with Montpelier, the Streaks were 8-1, 4-0 in the Northwest Ohio Athletic League.

After the matches were forfeited, the Streaks dropped to 0-9, 0-4 NWOAL.

Archbold went 2-2 last week and now stands 2-11, 1-4 NWOAL.

Aaron Rex, district superintendent, announced the forfeitures in a press release, Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 17.

Rex said a member of the team practiced with a university squad. Rex did not name the student-athlete or the university.

The player’s action was in violation of OHSAA general sports regulation 7.3 and volleyball regulation 4.1.

The regulations prohibit a player of an interscholastic school sport from participating in the same sport in a noninterscholastic program. The regulations extend to competitions, practices, and tryouts.

He said the violation wasn’t intentional. The student wasn’t aware of the OHSAA regulation.

“I’m not sure the univer sity was, either,” he said.

Timeline

Rex said a team coach learned of the potential violation, Monday evening, Sept. 16.

That coach referred the matter to Allan Gladieux, AHS athletic director.

Rex said Gladieux and Royal Short, AHS principal, dealt with the issue.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, AHS officials informed the OHSAA of the situation.

Debra Moore, OHSAA associate commissioner, handed down her ruling directing AHS to forfeit the eight wins. The decision was received at AHS at 1:47 pm that day.

Rex said the players were told about the situation before they left for their Tuesday night match at Montpelier, which was an NWOAL match. The Streaks were allowed to begin counting victories with the match.

The eight schools the Streaks already defeated this season– Patrick Henry, Stryker, Liberty Center, Wauseon, Delta, Napoleon, Fairview, and Defiance– were notified, Rex said.

Player

Moore’s ruling also suspended the player for two games. She was required to sit out the Montpelier match and the first match of the Golden Spike Tournament at Springfield High School, Saturday, Sept. 21.

Rex said AHS will not discipline or punish the player involved.

In the press release, he said, “This is an unfortunate event, and our school and our athletes did not intentionally try to violate any rules or guidelines set forth by the OHSAA rules.

“We will move forward with our season and continue to play with determination and perseverance.”

Kylie Rufenacht, head AHS volleyball coach, said, “It was an unfortunate situation that happened, and the girls have responded well.”



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