By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School volleyball team had to rally late in each set but they ultimately swept arch-rival Upper Scioto Valley in a tough match on “Dig for a Cure Night” at the Ada Schools on Monday, October 2.
The Bulldogs improved to 11-8 overall with the 25-19, 25-17, 27-25 non-conference victory.
The Rams dropped to 4-8 after the hard-luck loss.
“We were flat but had energy at different points in the match,” said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. “It was back and forth, but I thought USV out-hustled us. They don’t give up, they kept the ball alive.”
Ada came up with big runs to end their first and second-set comeback wins to frustrate the upset-minded Ram girls.
“We turned up the intensity when it was needed,” said Woodruff. “USV was very scrappy.”
In set one USV took an 8-4 lead after a kill by hard-hitting Brielle Cotterman. A Shay Lawrence ace and a kill by Sydney Christensen extended their lead to 13-8.
Ada authored a 10-4 run to take the lead, capped by a clean kill from senior Daicy Robinson. A big kill by Anna Conley and a tip by Autumn Andreasen were followed by a big smash from Tess Griffith to provide a 22-19 Bulldog lead.
Griffith clinched the opening set with a two-hand push shot to the back corner to win it, 25-19. Ada closed on a 5-0 spurt to cap a 12-3 finishing run.
In set two USV ran out to an 8-3 lead. Yet Ada rallied to lead 10-9 after two Conley kills and an Andreasen ace. A Mariah King kill dropped in off the top of the net for a 13-12 edge.
Cotterman tied it with a smash, followed by a sideline kill from Patiance Cole. Ada then fashioned a key 8-0 run with Josie Phillips serving two aces among her seven points as they seized control, 22-16.
A huge cross-court kill by Griffith and a Ram error finished set two on an 11-1 Ada run for a 25-17 win.
Two Cotterman kills and a block sparked USV to a 7-1 lead in the third game. Ada answered with an 11-1 flurry to go in front, 12-8. An ace and a tip by Lawrence helped USV rally to tie it, 20-20.
The Bulldogs inched in front 22-20, but the Rams tied it on a Cotterman kill. Andreasen won a tip battle at the net to give Ada a 23-22 edge. A Cotterman tip to the open sideline knotted it up again.
Christensen then fired a service winner to give USV set point. Woodruff called timeout to stop the momentum, and the hosts tied it 24-all on a Ram error.
Conley then came up with a huge block kill to put the Bulldogs ahead, 25-24. “That was a momentum-changing block,” Woodruff noted.
A Ram attack hit the top of the net and dropped to the floor to stave off match point and make it 25-25.
But then the Rams tipped wide. On their second match point, Ada finished it off 27-25 when a back row USV attack sailed into the net.
Senior setter Andreasen passed out 20 assists and came up with 19 digs. She also knocked down six kills and made one block.
Hard-hitting junior Griffith hammered seven kills, made 10 digs, served a pair of aces and had one block.
Senior Robinson knocked down five kills and made two blocks.
Senior King contributed five kills. Freshman Dailah Preston smacked three kills and had two blocks.
Sophomore Conley contributed three kills and one big block.
Junior libero Jenna Bassitt hustled up 22 digs. Defensive specialists Phillips and Alyssa Madison came up with 14 digs apiece.
The Bulldog reserves also swept USV 2-0 to improve to 13-3 this season. The Ada freshman team beat Ridgemont, 2-0.
A total of $2,319.37 was raised through a bake sale, contests and raffles for the cancer cause.
Ada (2-4 NWC) visits league-leading power Crestview (16-2, 6-0 NWC) Thursday in a league match.
The drawing for sectionals is this Sunday. Ada then visits Upper Sandusky next Monday, and hosts Leipsic (11-2, 4-1 NWC) Tuesday, October 9.
