Crestview senior standout Lainy Auer is consoled by her mother and coach, Alisha Auer, after Thursday’ season-ending loss. (Morning Journal/Michael Burich)

MEDINA — The Auer family has provided Crestview’s sports programs with plenty of thrills over the last two decades.

But that chapter in Crestview athletics history faces an uncertain future after the Rebel volleyball team bowed out of the Div. V regional semifinal with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-22 loss to Mentor Lake Catholic on Thursday at Medina High School.

Rebel senior Lainy Auer, who has played 336 sets in her career, is the final child coming through the system of Rob and Alisha Auer, the longtime Rebel volleyball coach. Alisha Auer, who is 404-127 in her varsity coaching career which began in 2004, says she wants to return to the Rebel sideline next season as a head coach, but there are decisions to be made.

“I stand on the fence,” Alisha Auer said. “I am not sure. I love coaching, but I do want to watch my kids.”

Lainy will continue her volleyball career at Malone University next fall, while her sister Grace will be in her junior season as a member of the University of Findlay volleyball team.

“I was a coach before I was a parent, so we will see,” Alisha Auer said.

The coach said a lot of options have been discussed about her future with Crestview (22-4), but it likely will not be an assistant role.

Lainy Auer, who had 16 kills and 18 digs against the Cougars, thinks she won’t be able to stay away.

“I think she will (coach),” Lainy Auer said.

Lainy ends her career with 1,278 kills, 249 aces, 78 blocks, 955 digs and 1,083 assists. She said she is proud of her family’s legacy at the school.

“I watched all of my sisters play coming up,” Lainy Auer said. “I wanted to be just like them. They are a great inspiration. It’s really awesome to be the last one but it’s sad that no more are going to be coming through.”

Alisha Auer said seeing that chapter of her life end is hard.

“That gets me,” Alisha Auer said. “I have been coaching 20 years and I have had a kid in the program for 10 years. It’s not easy to be a parent coach, but they’ve always seen me as a coach when we’re at the gym and not mom. And I have always seen them as a player.”

The end of this season mirrored the last four for the Rebels. A powerful Cougar team was just a tad too much to handle at the regional level.

Three-time defending state champion Mentor Lake Catholic (16-10) might have shown vulnerability this season, but the Cougars still have the pedigree needed to dominate at the Div. V level. Three Cougar defeats were to Div. I schools still alive in the regional finals (Mason, Mentor, Olentangy Orange). Akron Hoban (Div. III), Magnificat (Div. II), Parma Heights Holy Name (Div. IV) and Elyria Catholic (Div. V) were all still alive in the regionals as of Thursday.

“Crestview is a great team and they have great coaching,” second-year Cougar coach Tess Connolly said. “I think our defense really pulled it out for us.”

Lake Catholic senior Ava Starr entered the match with more than 800 assists this season. Junior Ahnna Bergant, who had 333 kills on the season coming into the match, finished with 11 kills against the Rebels.

Unlike the three previous meetings where Lake Catholic could really slam on the accelerator when it wanted, the match was rather balanced and the Rebels had opportunities at times to make some moves. In the first two games, Crestview had early leads, only to see unforced errors come back to haunt them. In the third game, Crestview was tied at 19 before the Cougars pulled away late.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Crestview senior setter Sophia Stewart said. “But the matchup was the best it could be. We played our best out there.”

Stewart had 17 assists and 11 digs, while libero Kerrigan Miller had 11 digs and two aces for the Rebels. Valerie Boyd bowed out on her senior season with an ace and eight digs.

Mentor Lake Catholic will meet rival Elyria Catholic in the regional final on Saturday at Streetsboro High School. Elyria Catholic, which beat Burton Berkshire 25-18, 25-14, 26-24 in the second match on Thursday, won both regular-season meetings and is seen as an up-and-coming power.

Match notes

• Lainy Auer recorded 648 kills, 62 aces, 26 blocks, 290 digs this season and was the Div. V District 1 Player of the Year. She was 113-8 as a player in her four years.

• Grace Auer played in 347 sets over her four year career, while older sister Brenna Auer played in 325 sets for the Rebels.

• Brother Mitchell Auer, who helped lead Crestview a state final appearance in soccer, never saw the field at NCAA Div. I St. Francis (Pa.) University due to numerous injuries. He will graduate next year.