By Cort Reynolds
The host Ada volleyball team lost a straight-sets match to undefeated Coldwater on a steamy Thursday evening.
After a competitive start, the Lady Bulldogs fell 25-17, 25-10, 25-7.
Ada dropped to 1-3 overall and 1-2 at home with the defeat. Meanwhile, Coldwater improved to 5-0 after the sweep.
"The stats don't show it but we played well," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Tabor. "Coldwater is a really strong team. They are great defensively, and it is very hard to get a kill against them or to put the ball away."
The Cavalier girls jumped ahead 10-5 in set one, but scrappy Ada inched within 14-11. Coldwater freshman Morgan Blasingame then fired consecutive aces to stymie the Bulldog momentum.
Ada junior Emilee Huffer came up with a block kill and Courtney Sumner served an ace to inch the purple and gold within 20-15. The visitors spurted to set point with a 4-2 run. The lanky Blasingame then closed it out with a clean kill, 25-17.
"I was proud of how strong we started out," said Tabor. "We brought a lot of energy. Serve reception hurt us in the second and third sets. Coldwater is the hardest-serving team we have seen."
In set two, Annelise Harlamert served the first six points as the Cavs ran out to a big early lead and never trailed. Aces by Sumner and Daicy Robinson kept Ada within 11-6.
But Coldwater went on an 11-2 flurry as Spencer Etzler hammered a cross-court kill and served two aces. Huffer staved off set point with a kill, but Jenna Leugers drilled a kill to end the game, 25-10.
A Sumner tip gave Ada a 1-0 lead to start the third set. Yet Coldwater reeled off the next six points, three on kills by 5-11 sophomore Madison Wendel.
A 5-0 spurt capped by a Leugers ace extended their lead to 12-2.
Hustling Ada won a long rally to make the score 16-5. But the visitors ended the match 25-7 on a 9-2 flurry. Riley Rismiller, a 6-4 junior, hit four kills in the final set. The taller Cavaliers simply possessed too many hitting weapons.
Sophomore Robinson came up with two blocks and served one ace.
Junior Sumner served up a pair of aces. Bulldog sophomore setter Autumn Andreasen passed out two assists.
Senior Lexi White hustled up eight digs. Junior Emilee Huffer compiled one kill, two blocks and one ace. Sophomore Josie Phillips mustered four digs, while junior Amelia Alexander contributed two digs.
Wendel led Coldwater with 15 kills and two blocks. Freshman Etzler came up with nine digs and added several kills. Harlamert doled out 28 assists and served up seven aces.
The Ada junior varsity also fell to 1-3 with a 25-15, 25-12 loss.
The Bulldog girls host perennial non-league power Ben Logan Monday, August 30. The JV match starts at 5:30 p.m. BL beat Kenton Ridge 3-1 Thursday night.
Ada then visits Perry (1-2) Tuesday, Aug. 31.
"Ben Logan is usually good; Perry is also improved and good," said Tabor. "Both will be hard matches."
