By Cort Reynolds
The homestanding Ada volleyball team dropped a three-set match to unbeaten non-league foe Ben Logan Monday evening.
The always-tough BL squad defeated the Lady Bulldogs 25-14, 25-9, 25-10.
Ada dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-3 at home with the loss. Meanwhile, BL improved to 5-0 after the win.
"I thought our defense did a really nice job," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Tabor. "They have some good servers, and they had some runs on our serve reception.
"Ben Logan is always good, they have a couple of nice hitters," she continued. "I thought we played hard and fought the whole game."
The Raider girls jumped ahead 8-4 in set one, then ran off six straight points to consolidate their lead. Bulldog Selena Jordan ended the spurt with a kill, followed by a tip from Lily Baumgartner.
Baumgartner then came up with a block kill to edge within 14-7. Yet a 6-1 Raider spurt gave them control. BL led 24-10 before scrappy Ada staved off four match points as Emilee Huffer served three in a row.
But the visitors won a long rally to clinch the first game, 25-14.
Two kills apiece by Ryelle Gibson and Makenna LeVan spurred the Raiders to an early 8-3 lead in set two. Bulldog Daicy Robinson came up with a block kill and Baumgartner scored a tip to the open middle.
Courtney Sumner placed a clean kill down the sideline as Ada crept within 10-6. BL then reeled off a 7-0 flurry to seize command as Lynzee Cronkleton served six points.
A Jordan tip made it 20-8, but BL finished on a 5-1 run as Gibson served it out 25-9.
Gibson served the Raiders to a 6-0 cushion to open the third game. They extended the lead to 13-3 before a kill from Ada sophomore Autumn Andreasen. BL then tallied six unanswered points.
A block by Huffer helped Ada end the run at 19-6. But Lily Blackburn fired an ace. Huffer's kill cut the deficit to 22-9. Gibson scored on a severe cross-court angle kill to reach match point.
Ada saved one match point on a hitting error but lost on a serve that sailed long, 25-10.
Junior Sumner mustered 11 digs and hit two kills. Sophomore setter Andreasen passed up nine assists, made six digs, one block and had one kill. Senior Jordan knocked down three kills.
Freshman Baumgartner amassed three kills and one block. Senior Lexi White hustled up six digs. Huffer hammered two kills.
Sophomore Josie Phillips came up with five digs and one kill. Junior Amelia Alexander contributed four digs. Sophomore Robinson added one block and one kill.
Ada did not serve an ace.
The Ada junior varsity also fell to 1- 4 with a 25-16, 25-9 loss. The Bulldog freshman team played its first match and lost to BL 25-15, 25-19.
The Bulldog girls will try to snap a three-match skid when they visit non-league foe Perry (2-2) Tuesday, Aug. 31.
"We scrimmaged Perry, they are pretty good," said Tabor. "It will be a tough match."
On Saturday morning, Ada plays a tri-match at Arlington with Hardin Northern.
