By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada volleyball team was swept by hard-hitting local rival Allen East in a league match Tuesday evening on Senior Night.
The 25-20, 25-22, 25-15 defeat dropped the Lady Bulldog overall record to 6-6 and 0-3 in the NWC. AE improved to 7-3 and 2-0 in NWC play with the convincing victory.
"We had our good spots, but we were not very consistent," said Ada third-year head coach Kyleigh Tabor. "We dug big holes in the first and third sets."
AE jumped out to a commanding 14-1 lead in set one, and later led 20-10. Ada rallied behind a 10-3 run as Courtney Sumner served an ace, while Megan Light and Miranda Wills each hit for two kills to pull within 23-20.
But a Bulldog serve sailed long to end their momentum. AE then closed it out 25-20 on an Ada attack that went into the net.
"We had a nice comeback from 14-1 down, but it wasn't enough," said Tabor.
In set two, Ada led 2-0 but fell behind 7-5 due to the strong hitting of Mustang freshman Soraya Jackson. The Bulldogs tied it 8-8, and inched ahead on a well-placed Wills tip.
Wills then hammered a clean kill down the sideline for a 10-9 edge. A block kill from Light kept Ada in front, 11-10. The powerful Jackson painted the sideline on a cross-court smash to tie it 11-all.
A Light tip to the sideline gave the hosts the lead back.
Yet a big block kill by the hard-hitting Jackson knotted it once more, and AE regained the edge on an error. The clubs battled to 16-16 when the visitors ran off four points in a row behind two clean kills and a tip from senior hitter Kristin Whitley.
Wills brought Ada back with consecutive kills, then served a point to edge within 20-19. After a Mustang timeout, Light and Selena Jordan combined on a block to tie it.
AE then won a rally, and a quick set tip by Hannah Williams caught the Bulldogs off guard for a 22-20 Mustang edge. An ace by Whitley prompted an Ada timeout.
Light's kill kept the hosts alive 23-21, but Ada was called in the net to set up game point. Another Light smash staved off one set point.
But again the Bulldogs hit into the net on game point to clinch set two, 25-22.
AE raced to a 6-1 lead in game three behind two kills from Jackson and a back row smash by the powerful Whitley. Two hard aces by freshman libero Savana Brooks extended the edge to 8-1 before the Mustangs were caught in the net.
A tip kill by Jackson after a good Bulldog dig made it 9-2. Ada hit long, and then won a long rally. Light rifled an unreturnable serve, but then served long to make it 11-4.
Kylie Acheson's kill off a Mustang block fell in, and AE then hit long. An AE tip off the post and a blocking miscue cut the deficit to 11-8.
But the veteran Whitley stopped the Bulldog run with a two-hand tip at the net. Ada hit long, and Light ended a rally with a kill that ricocheted off the backboard.
Down 14-11 the Bulldogs served just long, followed by a Wills kill. Light came up with a block to edge within 15-13, yet Jackson rifled consecutive clean kills to the open back row.
AE senior Emma Moritz's kill was partially tipped and fell in for an 18-13 Mustang cushion. A Bulldog error and a carry miscue advanced the margin to 20-13.
Jackson then came up with a massive block kill. Reeling Ada tipped off the side post to fall further behind at 22-13. Brooks scored six straight points on strong line-drive serving to spark the decisive 7-0 flurry.
Light hammered a kill to the open back to end the Mustang run. But Ada served into the net for 23-14, and a hitting error advanced AE to match point.
Sumner staved off one match point with a sideline tip. But Jackson capped the match with a well-timed block kill to end it, 25-15.
Senior Light led Ada with 13 kills, seven blocks and eight digs. Senior Wills compiled 18 digs, three kills and a pair of aces.
Bulldog junior Kirsten Poling dished out 16 assists and came up with seven digs. Sophomore Sumner came up with six digs and hit for two kills.
Senior Acheson hustled up 13 digs and knocked down a pair of kills. Junior Lexi White mustered up nine digs, and classmate Selena Jordan added two blocks.
The Bulldog reserves lost 2-0 to drop to 4-8.
The Bulldogs (2-4 road) visit league foe Delphos Jefferson (4-7, 0-2 NWC) Thursday, September 24 in a match between two teams in search of their first league win.
DJ started out 4-0 but has lost seven in a row, including a 3-0 defeat to Shawnee Tuesday night. Jefferson (1-3 at home) lost in straight sets to both Bluffton and AE in league play.
Ada then hosts Carey Saturday morning, with the JV bout starting at 10 a.m. in a match added to the schedule.
Wills, Light, Acheson, Kiersten Cortez, Grace Allison and Leona Dalton were the Bulldog seniors recognized before the AE match.
"I thought we were excited and pumped up for Senior Night," said Tabor. When asked if she thought her team lacked energy or looked tired after playing a third match in four days, she answered no.
"Every team is tired by this time of year," she said.
Ada is now 4-2 at home this season, while AE is 5-2 on the road.
