By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada volleyball team lost a tough four-setter to big-hitting Carey in a non-league match Saturday.
The 29-27, 23-25, 25-15, 25-9 defeat dropped the Lady Bulldog overall record to 7-7. Carey improved to 8-6 with the win.
"I thought we worked well together as a team," said Ada third-year head coach Kyleigh Tabor, whose team had to adjust its attack with versatile setter Kirsten Poling sidelined by illness.
"Kylie Acheson and Miranda Wills set today, and Miranda also played middle," Tabor noted. "I thought they did a good job, and we played well with a completely different lineup. Leona Dalton came in also and did a good job."
Carey ran out to a 13-6 lead in set one behind the big hitting of Bailey Tanner and Sadie Arend. Ada edged within 17-13 behind strong serving from senior Dalton.
Megan Light hit three kills and one tip, but the other 11 Bulldog points came on Carey errors as the hosts stayed within five points. An overhead bump by Miranda Wills trickled over the net to the floor for 21-16.
After the teams traded miscues, Wills fired an ace. A Light kill edged the purple within 23-20, prompting a Blue Devil timeout.
Wills rifled another low ace, and Light smashed a clean sideline kill. Carey hit wide for 24-23. Sumner then made a diving one-arm save, and Tanner hit in the net to tie it 24-all.
Light capped a rally with a clean kill to reach game point and cap a 9-2 Ada flurry. Tanner saved the Lady Devils with a clean kill to tie it 25-25, followed by an Ada error on serve reception. The Bulldogs won a long rally, and then a Light kill put them back ahead 27-26.
Tanner tied it once more with a clutch kill. Tanner then smacked a kill that went off the top of the net and on the sideline to give Carey set point. Ada hit into the net to lose the marathon seesaw opener, 29-27.
The Bulldogs led 6-5 in game two after three kills and a lefty tip from Light. A cross-court smash and a kill by Wills made it 10-8. But Carey took its first lead of the game on a serve return error and a Lexia Clinger ace at 13-11.
The hosts won a rally and Wills angled a short kill cross court to stay close. Carey edged in front 19-18 after a Tanner smash, but Ada rallied within 19-18 as Lexi White served.
Tiell hammered a kill off an Ada block. But Wills caught Carey off guard with a quick-set tip. Two Bulldog errors were followed by a mis-hit wide by the Devils.
Tiell drilled a clean kill for a 23-20 lead. A Devil passing miscue and a serve receive error made it 23-22. Ada tied it 23-23 on a strong serve from Dalton, and Arend hit wide to give the Bulldogs set point.
Dalton then drilled a hard serve that was returned under the net to give the Bulldogs a 25-23 comeback win. Ada ended the game on runs of 5-0 and 10-4.
"Leona did a nice job serving the second set out for us," Tabor noted. "The first two sets were really battles. Carey has a lot of great hitters and we had a lot of back forth rallies. Our defense was pretty good."
In set three, the hosts led 2-0 but the Lady Devils went on an 8-1 spurt to take control. Clinger fired an ace and a tip error made it 10-2 before a serving miscue ended the Carey run.
A block kill by Wills sparked a 7-2 response from Ada. Sumner and Addie Miller traded smashes for 14-10 as the Bulldogs hung within striking distance, down 16-11. A southpaw Tanner tip advanced their lead to 18-13.
Light responded with a kill off Arend's arm, yet Tiell's smash ricocheted off the ceiling for a point. Light's kill off a blocker went out of bounds to keep Ada alive at 20-15.
Tanner hammered a clean kill, and a Bulldog block caromed just wide. Arend authored a clean smash, then made a backhand tip to reach set point.
Miller found an opening in the back row with a clean kill to finish the game off, 25-15.
Early in game four, a kill and two aces by Tanner helped spur a 9-0 run that provided a 12-2 Carey lead. Light's kill off the net top ended Tanner's eight-point serving outburst.
An Arend clean kill made it 14-3 before Light came up with another kill. Two Ada errors and a smash from Tiell extended the lead to 17-4.
Carey methodically advanced the lead to 21-5. Wills served three points in a row before Tanner knocked down kills. A Devil block earned match point, and Tanner closed it out 25-9 with another hard, well-placed smash.
Senior Light led Ada with 19 kills, nine digs and two blocks. Senior Wills contributed a dozen digs, seven kills and 15 assists.
Senior Acheson mustered six digs and passed out nine assists.
Acrobatic sophomore Sumner hustled up a team-high 22 digs, and junior Lexi White added 11 digs. Senior Dalton served up three aces.
The Bulldog reserves lost 2-0 to drop to 4-10. The Ada JV also beat the Carey freshman, 2-1.
The Bulldogs (4-3 home) host LCC in a non-league match Tuesday, September 29.
Ada (1-3 NWC) then entertains league-leader Crestview (8-4, 4-0 NWC) Thursday, October 1.
