By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada volleyball team defeated second-place league foe Lincolnview in four sets in a key Northwest Conference match Thursday evening.
The 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-13 comeback victory upped the Lady Bulldog record to 15-6 and 7-0 in the NWC. Lincolnview fell to 10-7 and 4-2 in the NWC with the loss.
It was the first time in 21 matches this season that Ada played a match which was a non-sweep, win or loss. The victory set up a showdown for the league crown at fellow league leader Columbus Grove Tuesday, October 11.
Junior standout Melina Woods led Ada with 31 kills, 19 digs, seven blocks and one ace.
"Tonight all of the girls contributed," said Ada head coach Melissa Gossard. "Melina was great but the rest of the girls rose to the occasion, too. Tonight everybody played well.
"We are a resilient team. Lincolnview is probably the best defensive team we have played this season."
"We were flat the first game; we haven't played a close match in a while," added Gossard.
Maddie Gossard passed out 30 assists, dealt six aces, made three blocks and added six digs.
Senior Vore knocked down seven kills and classmate Wyss drilled nine kills.
Junior libero Olivia Alexander mustered up 21 digs while Kaiti Newland added nine digs. Junior Nikki Lehsten added five kills.
Sidney Gossard doled out 10 assists and made seven digs while serving a pair of aces.
Ada, 5-4 on the road, visits league co-leader Columbus Grove Oct. 11 for the NWC title. The Bulldogs finished undefeated in the regular saeason at home with a 7-0 mark. Red-hot Ada has won 12 of its last 3 after a 3-5 start.
Higgins leads Ada netters at sectionals
LIMA - Ada's Shelby Higgins won two singles matches at the Div. II girls tennis sectionals hosted by UNOH Thursday.
Higgins beat Desirae Pahl of Ayersville 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 32. She then advanced past Annie Sayoto of Elida when her opponent had to retire late in the second set.
Alotus Wei of Shawnee then eliminated Higgins 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. Higgins missed making it to districts by one win.
In other singles action, Bulldog Samantha Crawford lost to Kylee Morris of Bluffton in the round of 32 by a 6-1, 6-1 count.
Ada's Melina Temple fell to Olivia Kline of Van Wert 6-0, 6-0 in the first round.
In doubles action, seniors Meredith Marshall and Libbie Milks of Ada got a first round bye and then won their round of 16 match. The duo, who were the number one and two Bulldog singles players all season, defeated Kenya Manley and Maddie Moore of Lincolnview 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
But in the round of eight, the tandem lost to Rishika Avvari and Meghana Chanmolu of Shawnee 6-3, 7-5 to be eliminated one win from district qualification.
The other Ada doubles team of Callee Young and Paige Hopson fell in the round of 32 to Jillian Wine and Kara Danaher of St. Marys 6-2, 6-0.
Bulldog harriers run at Kenton
KENTON - The Ada cross country team ran in the nine-team Kenton Invitational at the county fairgrounds Thursday evening.
The Bulldog boys and girls each finished ninth at the meet. Two Ada girls and one Bulldog boy set personal-record times in the meet.
Top Ada girls runner Abbie James, a freshman standout, has missed the last two meets with a foot injury, but is expected back for the NWC meet October 15.
Ada girls times:
Olivia Ennis 23:42
Alexis Ennis 25:42
Jil Wolber 26:34
Nora Dellifield 29:13 (new personal record)
Dani Waugh 29:53 (new PR)
Ada boys times:
Eric Armbrecht 20:14
Larry Zembower 20:54
Andrew Ross 22:39
Seth Evans 22:57
Keaton Kipker 22:58
Brayden Cheney 23:58 (new PR)
Brice Ferguson 26:23
Andrew Robey 26:53
Ada runs at the Hardin County Invite Oct. 10 at the fairgrounds.
Bulldog soccer edged by Hornets
ADA - Ada boys soccer team fell to visiting Cory-Rawson 3-2 Thursday evening.
The Bulldogs fell to 7-5 overall and 3-3 in NCOSA play after the defeat.
Terry Sheridan and Chris Reyes tallied the Bulldog goals. Brendan Sheridan contributed an assist.
Ada (2-1 NWC) plays at league foe Paulding Saturday at 1 p.m.
