By Cort Reynolds
The resurgent Ada High School volleyball team came from behind late to defeat visiting Perry in a seesaw five-set battle Tuesday evening, August 30.
The improved Lady Bulldogs captured the last two sets to rally for an impressive 25-21, 27-29, 14-25, 25-22, 15-8 victory.
The comeback win upped the Ada record to 3-1, while the previously-unbeaten Commodore girls fell to 4-1 with the non-league defeat. "We had the energy in game four and we kept fighting," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. "We built more and more momentum, and the energy we had was unstoppable.
"Volleyball is 100 percent momentum and mental," she added. "It was a fun match and a hard-fought battle by both sides."
Senior libero Courtney Sumner hustled up 42 digs, a single-match Ada record. The previous record of 39 was held by Morgan Swick.
The fifth and decisive set started with two Perry players colliding trying to return a Sumner serve. The Commodores pulled back in front, 2-1. But a great Bulldog save led to a 2-2 tie.
Perry hit long twice in a row, and a rotation error put Ada in front 5-2. Ada southpaw Mariah King served a winner for her third point in a row.
Consecutive Lily Baumgartner kills made it 8-3, followed by a service winner from Autumn Andreasen. Perry won a long rally on a net battle to inch within 9-5.
A Baumgartner smash landed on the backline, followed by a clean kill to the open back off the arm of Daicy Robinson. Perry then let the ball drop at 13-5, before an attack error ended a 4-0 Ada run.
Bulldog freshman Anna Conley's tip was knocked out of bounds to earn match point. A diving Ada save was called just out to keep Perry alive at 14-7.
But one point later, a Commodore serve into the net ended the marathon match in favor of Ada, 15-8.
The Bulldogs trailed 14-11 in set one before they took control. Ada grabbed the lead at 17-16 on an error, and never trailed again in the set.
Two clean left outside kills by sophomore Tessa Griffith capped a 7-2 run. Perry rallied briefly to tie it 18-18. But two errors and a tip from Andreasen gave Ada back the lead for good.
Senior Emilee Huffer served her third point in a row to make it a 4-0 splurge. The visitors couldn't return a left-handed tip by Robinson, and an error got Ada to set point.
The Bulldogs survived a rally to end the opening game on a 14-7 run to win it, 25-21.
Ada jumped out to a 5-2 lead in set two. The Commodores came back to tie it 6-6 on a service winner, but Ada regained the edge on a Huffer kill. Another Huffer smash made it 9-6. Perry won a long rally, but Griffith hammered a sideline kill.
Libero Sumner bumped a shot to the open back for an 11-7 margin. Perry hit long, but a carry made it 12-8. Huffer's clean kill to the open middle was followed by an Ada hit that sailed just wide.
Andreasen and Robinson combined for a block at 14-9. Lily Baumgartner's hit caromed off the top of the net and dropped to the floor to prompt a Perry timeout. Baumgartner's cross court kill advanced the lead to 16-9 before a serving error.
A well-placed Robinson kill earned Ada a side-out. Two big Perry kills, a block and a hit just wide cut the lead to 17-14. After an Ada timeout, Perry got a clean kill. Robinson ended the 4-0 flurry with a tip.
A big Perry smash punctuated a long rally, followed by an Ada error. A tip off the net tied it 18-all. But Perry hit long to put Ada back ahead.
The Bulldogs hit long and Perry won a rally to tie it again, 20-20. Yet a serve that sailed wide gave Ada the edge. Griffith's attack was returned into the net for a 22-20 lead.
Perry responded with a left outside smash, and then a tip ended a rally for 22-22. A Huffer tip put the Bulldogs back in front, but the Commodores knotted it up with a sideline tip of their own.
An ace off the top of the net gave Perry its first lead of the game and set point at 24-23. After a Bulldog timeout, Perry served into the net to make it 24-24.
Baumgartner's hit was deflected to the floor but Ada served long on set point to make it 25-25. But Perry answered with a serve of its own hit well long. A Commodore hit was returned wide.
The teams battled to 27-all when an Ada block went just wide. A line-drive service winner closed out the seesaw set for the visitors, 29-27.
Hustling Perry rode the momentum of their comeback to a big early lead in set three. Andreasen authored a lefty tip, and Baumgartner found the back corner on a clean kill at 8-3.
Perry extended its lead to 13-4 before Conley knocked down a clean kill. Huffer's attack fell to the Perry side of the floor off a block, but Perry regained serve at 14-6.
At 16-7 Andreasen scored another quick tip. Ada called timeout after a Perry ace at 18-8 to try and change the momentum. Perry committed a service error and Ada pulled within 18-11.
A kill off the Ada backboard stemmed the run. A fine dig by defensive specialist Josie Phillips kept a point alive, allowing Sumner's high-arching save that landed on the line for 20-12.
But Perry reeled off five of the last seven points to win, 25-14.
The Commodores raced to a 7-0 advantage in set four and appeared on the verge of winning the match. But Ada answered with a 3-0 run as junior King served three points. King then lofted an ace on the sideline to edge within 7-5.
"Mariah helped turn things around serving there," said Woodruff. "She can play any position. We have a good bench and more options this season."
Perry responded with two points, followed by an Ada block. Baumgartner's tip capped a long rally. A Perry mis-hit and another Baumgartner tip gave the Bulldogs a 10-9 lead.
A service winner from Andreasen prompted a Perry timeout. The visitors responded with a tip, but Robinson smoked a clean kill.
Perry tied it 12-12, yet Ada won the longest rally of the match on a hitting miscue. The Bulldogs won another long rally and the teams traded serve errors. A Perry kill tied it 15-all.
Another Commodore serve into the net was followed by a big Perry kill and a block to regain their lead. Ada hit wide to make it 18-16. An Ada timeout iced the server, who hit into the net. A hit error tied it 18-18.
Andreasen fired a serve winner to recapture the lead for Ada, 19-18. A Conley tip was followed by an error and a block kill for a 20-20 tie.
Perry hit long to end a long rally. Robinson fired an ace, and Baumgartner climaxed a long rally with a kill for a 23-20 Ada lead.
The Commodores closed within 23-22, but a Huffer kill off the top of the net gave Ada set point. The Bulldogs then won a long rally when a shot hit the flag above the court to finish game four and force a fifth set, 25-22.
Junior setter Andreasen doled out 25 assists, hit four kills, added 16 digs and served three aces.
"Autumn was hustling all over," said Woodruff. "We got some blocks and kept our hands strong and got in their heads, they made a lot more errors in the end. Perry also missed a lot of serves at crucial points."
Junior hitter Robinson led Ada with 11 kills and 11 digs.
Sophomore Baumgartner knocked down eight kills and made nine digs. Junior Josie Phillips mustered 12 digs, while soph DS Jenna Bassitt added six digs. Freshman DS Alyssa Madison contributed nine digs.
Huffer knocked down seven kills, while Griffith hammered four kills.
King served three aces and Conley came up with three blocks. Conley added three kills.
"Everyone had their moments for us, it was whoever could keep the ball up and in play," Woodruff summed up. "It was a good team win and a confidence-builder."
The Bulldog reserves also won 2-0 to improve to 3-0.
Ada visits county foe Hardin Northern (2-5) and will also face Arlington (2-1) in a tri-match Saturday morning, September 3. Ada will play the second and third matches.
