By Cort Reynolds
The Ada volleyball team split a three-team non-league tri-match Saturday morning to start off its season.
The Bulldogs defeated Waynesfield-Goshen in three sets, then lost to Cory-Rawson in two close games. C-R also beat W-G, so all three varsity teams went 1-1.
Ada beat the Tiger girls 25-15, 23-25, 25-18 in the first match of the day.
"It was a hard-fought match," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Tabor. "We lost a close second game, but I was proud of how the girls came back in the third set after losing such a close game."
Ada never trailed in the decisive third set and won convincingly.
Sophomore setter Autumn Andreasan led the Bulldogs with five kills, 15 assists and six digs. Junior Emilee Huffer contributed five kills and six aces. Sophomore Daicy Robinson knocked down five kills and made two blocks.
Freshman Lily Baumgartner hit three kills and came up with four blocks in her debut. Senior Selena Jordan amassed three kills. Junior Courtney Sumner came up with nine digs and served up five aces.
Sophomore Josie Phllips mustered seven digs, while junior Amelia Alexander added four digs.
In their second match, the Lady Bulldogs led 12-6 early against Cory-Rawson. The Hornet girls still trailed 15-10 when they went on a match-changing 7-0 run behind the line-drive serving of junior Brooke Shepherd.
Shepherd fired three consecutive aces to help put C-R ahead, 17-15. The Bulldogs tied it on a Sumner ace, but the Hornets ran off the next four points.
After a timeout Ada rallied. Two Hornet errors were followed by a kill from Jordan. Huffer served an ace to tie it 21-21. Cory pulled ahead 23-21, but hit into the net to cut the lead back to one.
However, a key block kill earned the visitors a set point. Chelcie McVetta then served an ace to clinch it, 25-22. C-R scored 19 of the game's last 29 points, and outscored Ada 8-5 down the stretch after it was tied 17-all.
In set two, three aces by Sumner gave Ada an early 5-1 advantage. The purple and gold still led 9-5 when Shepherd once again served the Hornets back into contention. A fortunate save and bounce off the top of the net helped C-R take a 12-11 edge.
Ada regained the lead briefly on kills by Robinson and Jordan, 14-13. C-R responded with a 7-2 spurt spearheaded by aces from Chelcie and Morgan McVetta.
Ada inched within 20-19 yet the Hornets scored the next three points, capped by a Shepherd ace, to seize control. After a Bulldog timeout, kills by Robinson and Huffer kept the hosts alive.
But a Hornet kill off the top of the net helped the green and gold reach match point. Chelcie McVetta then closed it out on a clean kill, 25-21.
"Cory played well and made very few errors," said Tabor. "I thought we played hard but we lost our energy midway through the first set. We needed more energy when it got close. But it was a good match."
Andreasan doled out 11 assists in the nightcap. Huffer compiled four kills and a block. Sumner amassed five kills, eight digs and five aces.
Robinson knocked down five kills while Jordan added three kills. Phillips contributed six digs.
The Ada junior varsity defeated the Hornet reserves, but lost to W-G.
Ada plays at county rival Kenton August 24, then hosts MAC power Coldwater Thursday, August 26.
