By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School varsity volleyball team defeated visiting Vanlue in a four-set match in the air-conditioned junior high gym Thursday evening, August 24.
The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 after the methodical 25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 25-12 non-league win.
“It was definitely good to bounce back and win set four to finish it,” said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. “We faced a little adversity after the loss in set three, and came back to win.”
Ada jumped ahead 5-1 early in set one. Vanlue scrapped back within 9-7 and 12-10 before getting in the net. Tess Griffith served an ace to make it 14-10.
The Wildcats girls rallied to tie it 14-14 but Ada spurted back on top by three, capped by a block from Autumn Andreasen.
Anna Conley later hit a big kill, and Alyssa Madison fired an ace on the sideline for a 21-17 lead. The visitors inched back within 22-20 when freshman Dailah Preston came up with a big left-handed block kill.
Vanlue then served long to get Ada to set point. Griffith served it out for the four-point win.
The Bulldogs rallied from an early deficit to lead 10-7 in game two. A Conley tip ignited a 9-4 flurry. Feisty Vanlue came back within 21-19 when Bulldog senior Mariah King knocked down consecutive clutch kills.
The Wildcats came back one last time to tie it 23-all. An Ada attack was blocked out of bounds to reach game point. Conley then authored a two-handed tip that dropped in to win the set, 25-23.
The teams battled through ties at 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 before Vanlue spurted in front by three. Ada ran off four unanswered points to seize a brief 18-17 edge.
Conley came up with a big block kill at 22-19, but Vanlue closed the set on an 8-1 run to win game three 25-19.
In game four Ada raced ahead 7-4 and extended it to 12-5. A Griffith smash and an Andreasen tip helped propel the purple and gold in front, 16-7. A clean Griffith kill put the Bulldogs ahead, 21-12.
Preston rose up for a block kill to advance Ada to match point. Andreasen finished it with a flourish by serving an ace to clinch the set, 25-14.
“Josie Phillips had a really nice dig in the fourth set, and I thought that changed the momentum,” Woodruff noted. “After that we had more energy and hit the floor more.”
Bulldog senior setter Andreasen dished out a season-high 26 assists. She also came up with 14 digs and six kills, while serving one ace.
Senior southpaw hitter King smacked 10 kills. Sophomore middle Conley came up big with seven kills and three blocks.
Junior libero Jenna Bassitt hustled up 25 digs.
Senior Robinson amassed five kills and one ace. Junior Griffith knocked down four kills, made 17 digs and served a pair of aces.
Freshman Preston hit for six kills and made three big blocks.
Sophomore defensive specialist Madison came up with eight digs and served one ace. Senior defensive specialist Phillips hustled up six digs.
The Bulldog junior varsity won 2-0, and the Ada freshmen also prevailed in straight sets.
Ada plays at Cory-Rawson Saturday, August 26, in their fifth match over eight days.
