By Cort Reynolds
HARROD - The visiting Ada volleyball team lost a marathon five-set battle to backyard rival Allen East in a seesaw Northwest Conference thriller Tuesday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs took a two sets to one lead, but the Mustang girls rallied to win the fourth set and force a decisive fifth game. AE then took the final set in extra time to clinch the hard-fought victory.
The purple and gold dropped to 4-7 and 0-3 in the NWC with the tough-luck defeat. AE improved to 5-2 and 1-1 in league play with the 25-22, 25-27, 19-25, 25-18, 17-15 comeback victory.
"It was a very competitive, hard-fought battle, especially the fifth set," said Ada head coch Kyleigh Tabor. "Both teams kept the ball alive with defense and there were long rallies throughout.
"Both teams worked extremely hard and it was an intense fight throughout the match," she added.
Junior middle Megan Light led the Bulldogs with 25 kills and a season-high 28 digs.
Junior Miranda Wills hit for seven kills and mustered up 21 digs to go with two blocks and a pair of aces.
Senior libero Kendal Guagenti ended up with a career-high 29 digs. Sophomore setter Kirsten Poling passed out 26 assists and compiled three blocks.
Sophomore Aubrey Madison contributed 17 digs, five kills, 15 assists and four blocks. Junior Kylie Acheson added five kills and three aces.
The Lady Bulldog reserves lost to AE, 2-0.
Ada (0-5 home) resumes NWC play Thursday, September 19 when it hosts Delphos Jefferson (3-7, 1-1 NWC) in a league battle. Jefferson knocked off AE 3-1 Sept. 12.
