By Cort Reynolds
ADA – The Ada High School volleyball team lost its first-ever Blanchard Valley Conference match in straight sets to visiting Liberty-Benton on September 4.
The Bulldogs fell to 3-4 overall this season and 0-1 in the BVC after the 25-9, 25-13, 25-21 loss.
L-B improved to 2-3 and 1-0 in BVC play with the victory.
“We knew Liberty would be good, as they always are,” said Ada head coach Kyleigh Woodruff. “I am very proud of our team for not giving up after set one, and even after the second set.
“I am very happy with how we played in set three,” she continued. “We had a lot of girls come off the bench ready to play, and they did well. But their middles killed us, especially in the first two games.”
Bigger L-B jumped ahead 10-4 in set one. Ada stayed within 10-6 after two Eagle errors. The visitors then reeled off seven unanswered points, then closed the game on a 6-2 run at 25-9.
Ada stayed close early in game two. A left-handed tip and a kill by Tess Griffith made it 5-4, L-B. But two aces helped the Eagles pull ahead, 9-4.
A block kill by Dailah Preston cut the deficit to 11-6. L-B spurted ahead 20-7 behind a 9-1 run. Ada ran off five straight points with Jaylin St. Laurent serving, capped by her ace at 20-12.
A two-hand tip by Griffith staved off one set point at 24-13. But Ada was in the net to end the second game, 25-13.
The third set was much more competitive. A tip by Brooklyn Andreasen cut the Eagle edge to 4-3 early. Two big kills by Bulldog senior Griffith kept Ada close at 8-6.
Andreasen then came up with consecutive kills to stay within 10-8. L-B put on a 4-0 flurry to build a 14-8 lead. Ada answered with a 4-0 spurt of its own with Jenna Bassitt serving three points.
Two Eagle errors and a Preston tip cut the margin in half at 14-11. An Alivia Gibson hit dropped in off an L-B block at 16-13. Griffith followed with a big smash off an Eagle blocker that dropped to the floor at 17-14.
Another Griffith smash ricocheted out of play off an L-B block. After a good Bassitt dig, Griffith’s scoring tip kept Ada in striking distance, down just 18-16.
Andreasen then came up with a big kill to inch the Bulldogs within a point. But they were unable to keep the momentum and tie it up. A big kill and a service winner kept L-B in front, 20-17.
The Eagles served into the net, then hit wide to help edge Ada back within 20-19. The hosts served long, then hit into the net to fall behind by three points. After a timeout, the Bulldogs hit long twice to advance the visitors to match point.
Andreasen came up with a kill off an Eagle blocker. But an L-B kill ended the close set and the match, 25-21.
Griffith amassed 10 kills and eight digs to pace Ada. Bassitt mustered up 14 digs and passed out two assists.
Andreasen knocked down six kills and had one block assist. St. Laurent dished out 16 assists, hustled up five digs and served a pair of aces.
Preston had a kill, a solo block and one block assist. Gibson hit one kill. Alyssa Madison and Harlyn Lowry each contributed three digs.
Ada plays a dual match at non-league foe Cory-Rawson (0-5) on Saturday, September 7.
