By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School volleyball team played well but lost to visiting three-time league champion Lincolnview in a tough four-set Northwest Conference match Tuesday evening, September 13.
The 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 25-8 defeat dropped the Lady Bulldog record to 6-4 overall and 0-2 in the NWC. Lincolnview improved to 7-1 and 1-0 in the NWC with the win as they seek a fourth straight conference crown.
"I was really pleased we fought so hard," said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. "We came back to win the fourth set. It was a very competitive match with a lot of great hustle on both sides."
"I am very proud of how we persevered through adversity," said Lancer coach JaNahn Evans. "We were coming off a tough loss to (top-ranked) New Bremen Monday night, and were challenged by a very good Ada team."
Ada raced to a 7-0 lead in set one as Tessa Griffith served six straight points. The Lancers slowly inched back in the game behind three kills and a tip from senior Mckayla Blankemeyer. An ace and two Blankemeyer kills tied it 15-15. But two kills and a tip by Bulldog Daicy Robinson helped put Ada back in front, 20-16.
"They frustrated our hitters early and it took a while to find their holes," Evans noted. "We started passing better."
Emma Bowersock came up with a block kill and Neive Miller fired two aces to tie it up, 20-20. Ada went in front on an error but Bowersock knotted it with a tip. A southpaw tip by setter Breck Evans gave the Lancers the lead.
The Bulldogs regained the lead on consecutive kills from Griffith. Blankemeyer tied it for the last time with a kill off a block. Her subsequent tip gave Lincolnview set point. Evans then rifled an ace to give the Lancers the comeback win, 25-23.
Ada led 6-3 early in set two but the Lancers pulled ahead with Blankemeyer in the front row smacking several kills for an 11-8 lead. Both liberos came up with incredible saves by Grace Brickner and a foot save from Courtney Sumner on a long rally for perhaps the point of the season.
The Lancers won it to go ahead 12-8. Lincolnview extended the lead to 16-10 after a clean kill from the 6-0 Blankemeyer. Ada clawed back within 16-13 after a Lily Baumgartner kill. Freshman Beth Hughes stemmed the momentum with a kill for 17-13.
Ada crept within 18-16 before a Bowersock smash built the lead to three. A Lancer error was followed by a Blankemeyer kill. After an Ada timeout, a service error was followed by a tip from Carsyn Looser. Looser found an opening in the back for a big kill and a six-point lead at set point. The Lancers then won the game 25-18 as an Ada shot sailed wide.
A Robinson block kill on the sideline started set three off strongly for Ada. Blankemeyer returned the favor with a block kill of her own. Looser's cross-court tip and big sideline smash made it 4-1.
A Brickner ace and an Ada hit wide advanced the lead to 6-1. Autumn Andreasen fired a service winner before Hughes knocked down a kill off a block to make it 7-3.
Sumner made an incredible one-arm dig to prolong a point, but Hughes ended it with a clean smash to provide a 12-4 edge.
Senior Emilee Huffer came up with a big block kill for Ada as they crept within 12-7. Hughes drilled a low-line ace, and a Blankemeyer block kill extended the lead to 16-7.
Huffer came up with a big smash off a block to side out. The Lancers ran off three points before a Griffith kill and two mis-hits made it 19-12.
Blankemeyer stopped the run with a clean smash. Robinson answered with a kill and a block kill for 20-14. Three Baumgartner kills and two Sumner service winners inched Ada within 21-19.
A Baumgartner/Huffer block, and a Sumner ace tied it 21-21. Huffer came up with a big block kill for a 22-21 lead. Bowersock hit wide, and Sumner rifled another ace to reach set point.
Ada finished the set on an 11-1 run to clinch a rousing 25-21 comeback win. "I was really proud of how we came back to win the fourth set," said Woodruff. "Lincolnview has been a great team the last few years."
The Lancers built a 9-3 lead early in set four as Brickner served five straight points. A block by Robinson cut the deficit to 9-5.
Lincolnview stretched the lead to 18-6 after two Bowersock slams and a pair of Miller aces. Ada won a long rally to end the 7-0 spurt. Bowersock capped the match with five service points as a Blankemeyer kill closed it out, 25-8.
- Senior libero Sumner hustled up 19 digs and served four aces
- Junior Robinson hammered 12 kills and came up with three blocks
- Sophomore Baumgartner drilled seven kills
- Huffer came up with three blocks
- Griffith had three kills
- Conley contributed two kills
- Junior setter Andreasen passed out 27 assists.
- Senior Blankemeyer knocked down 13 kills and made five blocks
- Hughes drilled 10 kills
- Bowersock powered down nine kills
- Looser added eight kills
- Brickner hustled up 20 digs
- Evans passed out 43 assists
"Grace played well, she really hustled despite being injured," noted Evans.
The Bulldog reserves won 26-24, 26-24 to improve to 7-2. Lincolnview took the freshman match 2-0 to start the tripleheader.
Ada entertains Columbus Grove (2-5, 0-1 NWC) Thursday, Sept. 15 in another league match. CG lost to Allen East 3-0 Tuesday.
