By Cort Reynolds
OTTAWA - Second-seeded Leipsic defeated the Ada volleyball team in four sets during Div. IV district semifinal action at Ottawa-Glandorf Tuesday evening, ending the Lady Bulldog season.
The 25-11, 25-14, 21-25, 25-19 defeat snapped a nine-match Bulldog winning streak. The fourth seed in the district, Ada finished its season 18-7.
Leipsic (21-3) faces Blanchard Valley Conference foe and number one seed McComb (23-2) in the district finals Thursday evening at Ottawa for the right to advance to regional play.
Ada junior standout Melina Woods, the two-time Northwest Conference Player of the Year, led all players with 31 kills and added a pair of blocks. Thirteen of her kills came in the third set, the lone Bulldog win.
Ada rallied within 21-19 in the fourth and final set, but the Vikings reeled off the final four points to clinch the match.
Junior Maddie Gossard, a first team All-NWC pick, passed out 26 assists and came up with seven digs for the Bulldogs. Alyssa Vore contributed five kills. Freshman Sidney Gossard amassed 10 assists. Juniors Olivia Alexander and Kaiti Newland each added seven digs.
Brooke Gerdeman, a 6-2 middle hitter, led the Lady Vikings with 24 kills while setter Selena Loredo doled out 48 assists. Kierra Meyer contributed 13 kills, 20 digs and two aces for the Vikings, ranked 12th in the state.
Ada had won 15 of its last 16 matches heading into the match Tuesday vs. the Vikes. The Bulldogs repeated as NWC champions with a perfect 8-0 league record.
The loss was the last match for Ada seniors Vore, Haley Wyss, Kyli Lause and Taryn Fullom.
McComb, ranked third in the latest coaches state poll, swept Kalida (18-7) in the first district semifinal Tuesday at Ottawa. The Lady Panthers defeated Leipsic 3-0 back on September 14 in BVC play.
