The Ada volleyball team lost a tough three-setter to visiting Spencerville in the Northwest Conference finale Tuesday, October 12, on a special Senior/Volley for the Cure Night.
A total of just over $1,900 dollars was raised to fight breast cancer. A big and loud crowd was on hand to cheer on the teams, mostly clad in symbolic pink.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 2-18 and 0-8 in the NWC with the 25-13, 25-20, 25-22 defeat.
Spencerville improved to 11-8 and 2-6 in the NWC to avoid a last-place tie with the Bulldog girls and finish tied for seventh with the sweep.
"Spencerville has a couple really nice hitters," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. "We just made too many errors and couldn't finish the second and third sets."
Spencerville reeled off nine straight points to take a 14-3 lead in set one. Ada pulled within 20-11 on four Bearcats errors and a kill from Emilee Huffer.
Ada freshman Lily Baumgartner hit a kill to save one set point, but the visitors closed it out on a clean smash to the back row from Isabelle Murray.
The teams battled to a 5-5 tie early in game two. Ada spurted ahead 10-8 aided by a clean Sumner kill down the sideline, and two kills by Huffer.
Bearcat Claire Hoback responded with three big kills as they surged ahead, 14-11. Ada then authored an 8-4 run to gain an 18-17 lead.
Daicy Robinson and Baumgartner each knocked down a pair of kills and Jenna Bassitt served an ace on the sideline in the flurry.
Two kills and a block by Murray put the Bearcats back on top, 21-19. Kait Keller came up with a block kill, but Sumner answered with a clean kill to the back line.
But a Murray ace and a block kill from Hoback finished the set, 25-20.
"They killed us in the first set with tips, but then we adjusted and started picking up their tips," noted Woodruff.
Ada ran out to a 5-0 lead behind the serving of Sumner to start set three. Spencerville responded with a 10-1 splurge, yet Robinson fired an ace on the back line. A well-placed kill by Selena Jordan, and a Josie Phillips ace tied it 10-10.
Huffer and Robinson subsequently knotted the set up at 12-all and 14-14 with clean kills. The Bulldogs ran off five points in a row with Autumn Andreasen serving to seize an 18-14 lead.
A Robinson kill and an ace by Sumner later propelled Ada to a 22-16 advantage.
But then Samara Norbeck drilled three kills and the Bearcats reeled off nine straight points to finish the match, with Keller serving the final eight.
A tip by Hoback clinched the Bearcat comeback, 25-22.
"We just had too many errors at the end of the third game," Woodruff offered. "We were up 22-16 but couldn't finish it."
Junior Sumner hit four kills, served five aces and mustered 10 digs to lead Ada.
Sophomore Robinson drilled five kills, made five digs and added a block. Senior Jordan contributed two kills.
Sophomore setter Andreasen had 15 assists and 15 digs.
Baumgartner knocked down four kills and made two solo blocks. Senior Lexi White came up with eight digs.
Bulldog junior Huffer hammered five kills and added one block. Bassitt added five digs and one ace.
The Bulldog junior varsity won 25-19, 25-20 to improve the Ada reserve mark to 8-11.
Seniors White, Jordan and the injured Kirsten Poling were recognized before their final home match.
The Bulldog girls play next on Tuesday, Oct. 19 in the Div. IV sectional semifinals at Columbus Grove (7-13). CG swept Ada 3-0 earlier this season.
