By Cort Reynolds
ADA __ The Ada High School volleyball team played perhaps its best match of the season but came up just short to visiting Arlington in a five-set Blanchard Valley Conference thriller Wednesday evening, September 18.
The Bulldogs fell to 6-6 overall and 2-3 in the BVC after the heartbreaking 25-27, 25-16, 25-20, 24-26, 15-8 defeat. Gritty Ada rallied late to win the first and fourth sets in extra time, but ran out of gas at the end of the emotional marathon.
The Red Devils improved to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the BVC with the hard-fought win.
“The fact that we came back in game four shows that we have really grown,” said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. “I am really proud of how hard we fought. We worked well together as a team.”
Ahead 24-18 in the fourth set, Arlington held six match points. But the Bulldogs refused to lose and staved them all off to author an improbable 8-0 rally and force a fifth set.
Anna Conley sparked the closing run with a block kill to make it 24-20. The Red Devils hit wide, then Conley made another block to inch within 24-22. A clean kill made it 24-23.
Bulldog setter Jaylin St. Laurent then showed a lot of moxie when her back-handed, no-look tip fell in to tie it up. Senior Tess Griffith served her sixth point in a row as Alivia Gibson scored a tip to reach game point.
Conley’s two-hand tip capped the 8-0 closing spurt to win it 26-24 and tie the match at 2-2.
But Arlington seized the momentum in the fifth set by racing to a 6-1 lead. A kill and a block kill by Dailah Preston kept Ada alive, down 8-3. Kennedy Jones served an ace and the Devils hit wide to inch Ada within 9-5. A Griffith kill and a Devil carry miscue made the score 13-8.
The Bulldogs were then whistled for a controversial rotation error just as they served. After a lengthy argument, the officials confirmed the call and ruled for Arlington to advance the visitors to match point.
The Devils closed it out 15-8 when a Bulldog hit sailed long.
Arlington jumped ahead 13-6 in set one before the Bulldogs rallied. Alainee Buxton served four straight points to pull within 13-10. Natilyn McClain then served four points in a 5-0 run that tied it, 15-15.
Ada inched ahead 21-19 after a Preston kill was blocked out of play. St. Laurent rifled an ace to the back corner. A right outside smash by Preston, and a clean kill by Gibson capped a 5-0 spurt that moved Ada to set point.
But Arlington answered back when three tips powered a 6-0 run to go ahead, 25-24. Yet a clutch kill by Gibson tied it 25-all.
Sophomore Brooklyn Andreasen punctuated a great rally with a cross-court kill to give Ada a 26-25 edge. Andreasen then followed that with a clean kill to the open back that clinched the set, 27-25.
Arlington jumped ahead 11-4 in game two. They extended the margin to 18-7 before Ada reeled off six straight points with Griffith serving. However, the Devils pulled away late with a 7-2 run and won it, 25-16.
Ada led 7-4 early in set three. Gibson improvised a nice southpaw left side winner near the pole for a 10-8 edge. A tip block by Preston made it 14-11. A clever left-handed tip by Andreasen later gave the hosts an 18-17 lead.
The Devils then went on a 6-1 flurry, yet Andreasen hit a clean kill for 23-20. But a Devil tip and an Ada error closed the game, 25-20.
Up 2-1, Arlington ran out to a 12-5 lead in set four and appeared ready to finish it off. A tip by Conley capped a 4-0 splurge that advanced Ada within 14-10. Preston then cranked three consecutive kills to spark the Bulldogs back into contention. Andreasen later hammered back-to-back kills to inch within 20-16.
Three Devil points advanced them near match point at 23-17. A good hustling save by Griffith helped cut the deficit to 23-18.
After the teams traded errors, Ada finished the clutch 8-0 closing rally to win the set 26-24. But the fifth game ended their great comeback.
“It was a tough loss, but I am really proud of how hard we fought,” summed up Woodruff.
Everyone contributed well for Ada.
Preston enjoyed the best match of her career with 13 big kills and three block kills.
Hustling senior Griffith knocked down six kills, mustered 22 digs and served two aces.
Hard-hitting Andreasen hammered eight kills and came up with three block kills. Junior Conley hit four kills, made three blocks and added six digs.
Sophomore St. Laurent passed out 35 assists, came up with 17 digs and served four aces. Sophomore Gibson drilled a season-high 10 kills.
Senior libero Jenna Bassitt contributed 13 digs and three assists. Senior Jones and junior Buxton each dealt a pair of aces.
Junior Alyssa Madison mustered 10 digs. Senior McClain added seven digs.
The Bulldogs are 3-3 at home. Arlington also won the JV match 2-0 after a 28-26 second set.
Ada hosts league-leader Leipsic (12-0, 5-0 BVC) Monday, Sept. 23. The Vikings swept Vanlue 3-0 Wednesday. The Bulldogs then entertain Van Buren (8-4, 2-3 BVC) Wednesday, Sept. 25 to conclude a tough three-match league homestand.
