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Lady Bulldog spikers reload with new coach after NWC three-peat, district crown

By Cort Reynolds

ADA - With three-time league Player of the Year Melina Woods moving on to college ball at Canisius and an exceptional strong senior class having graduated, the 2018 Ada varsity volleyball team has a new look with a new head coach this fall.

 

Sliding down to coach JV is long-time mentor Melissa Gossard, while former assistant Kyleigh Tabor moves up a rung to take over the varsity reins. Tabor served as the junior varsity coach the past two years after two prior seasons as Bulldog freshman coach, plus one season at the seventh grade level in Ada.

 

Tabor teaches second grade at Ada and hails from Sheffield Lake in the Cleveland area. She attended Brookside, a Div. II high school, where she lettered four years as a setter.

 

Because of the familiarity with the players and program earned over the last five years, her transition to head coach should be relatively smooth.

 

"The switch is going well; I coached the girls who are seniors now in seventh grade," said Tabor. "Plus I coached many of this season's varsity girls on JV last year. I have actually coached most of the varsity girls more than Melissa has."

 

This year's squad has a tough act to follow.

 

Ada won its third consecutive Northwst Conference title last fall, and advanced to the regionals for the first time in program history in 2017.

 

The Lady Bulldogs beat Leipsic 3-2 and swept LCC 3-0 to win their first district title at Ottawa last October. Eventual state runner-up New Washington Buckeye Central eliminated Ada at the regional semifinal level in Elida, 3-1.

 

Facing a rugged schedule that helped prepare them for the post-season, the Bulldog spikers finished 18-7 and went undefeated (8-0) in league play for the second straight year.

 

Bolstered by their senior class and tough schedule, the Bulldogs captured the 2017 NWC title outright to complete an NWC three-peat after sharing the 2015 conference crown with Paulding.

 

Ada went 23-1 in NWC play the past three seasons behind all-stater and district Div. IV Player of the Year Woods, who is the program's all-time leader in kills.

 

Other key seniors gone to graduation are all-time assist leading setter Maddie Gossard, all-league libero Olivia Alexander, underrated hitter Nicki Lehsten and defensive specialist Kaiti Newland.

 

In 2018, the purple and gold will again face the likes of strong non-conference MAC foes St. Henry and Coldwater, as well as Ben Logan, to help prepare them for the NWC race and post-season.

 

This year, eight full-time varsity players hope to carry on the winning tradition, led by three seniors, two starters and four returning letter winners.

 

Senior Raina England is the most experienced outside hitter back. She is a solid athlete with good leaping ability, and is a good placement hitter.

 

"Raina can play different positions if need be, and got some important varsity experience last year," said Tabor. "She is extremely fast and a hard worker."

 

Athletic senior Morgan Swick will play libero and/or defensive specialist. She will get a chance to showcase her skills this season after serving as a backup on the powerhouse clubs of the past few seasons.

 

The versatile Swick might also play right side hitter. "She can play any position on the court, and set for me on JV last year," said Tabor. "Morgan is a solid passer and great defender, a good leader." She saw a little varsity action last fall at the end of the season and is a returning letter winner.

 

Heady junior setter Sidney Gossard will take over running the 5-1 offense after the graduation of her sister Maddie, with whom she ran a 6-2 set-up. She has started the past two seasons.

 

"Sidney has been setting since her freshman year and will fill a bigger role with Maddie gone," said Tabor. "She is really smart, knows who to set the ball to and can ran a fast offense."

 

Gossard is a very good server with a fine volleyball smarts, and was named honorable mention all-league last fall. Good serve placement with high velocity key her ability to deal out aces and induce weak returns. "She is a good server and will be our first server," Said Tabor. "She also has a good float serve."

 

Promising sophomore Megan Light started last year as a freshman. coming on strong toward the end of the season. She should continue to progress and will be one of the team's main hitter/blockers this season in the middle. At 5-10, she is the tallest Bulldog player.

 

"We are looking for Megan to be our big blocker in the front row," said Tabor.

 

Athletic junior Kendal Guagenti will play defensive specialist and/or libero, splitting those positions with Swick. "Kendal played libero last year on JV and gives all-out effort. She is good in the back row and very good at serve reception," Tabor noted.

 

Senior Rilan Conley is an outside hitter "who also gives full effort and works hard at all times. She will play all over the court as one of our go-to hitters after playing JV last year. She will definitely be one of our biggest hitters," noted Tabor.

 

Feisty sophomore Miranda Wills also makes the jump to varsity from the successful reserve squad, and will play outside hitter. "Miranda is one of the biggest hustlers I have ever coached, and she always give maximum effort," said Tabor. "Whatever position you put her in, she will do what the team needs."

 

Versatile sophomore Aubrey Madison will serve as the second middle hitter. This is her first year as a middle after playing outside hitter for the reserve squad last fall. She also played some setter this past off-season in club ball.

 

"Aubrey has been doing a really nice job in middle and is very coachable," said Tabor. "She is our second-tallest player."

 

The first-year head coach considers all eight of her full-time varsity players as starters.

 

Four others will play JV and dress varsity to provide depth: junior middle hitter Ashleigh Rush, junior OH Josie Poling, sophomore OH Kylie Acheson and freshman setter Kirstin Poling. Tabor also noted that Poling can play any position.

 

"We are a fast team with good defense and speed," when asked about her club's strengths. "This is a great group of girls who are all hard workers, too."

 

Blocking, a lack of height and experienced depth are areas of concern. "Working hard to get sideouts" she said is a key for the team without Woods and company.

 

Seniors Swick, England and Conley, along with Gossard, will serve as the four team captains.

 

"The main season goal is to win the NWC again," said Tabor. "Match by match, the players want to focus on defense, keep the energy level up and work together well as a team."

 

In the NWC race, Tabor feels five teams have a fairly equal chance to win the league championship. Ada will be in the hunt to win a fourth conference crown in a row, but she feels "it will come down to who plays hardest and has the fewest errors each night. It will be interesting."

 

Ada, Crestview, Columbus Grove, Lincolnview and Allen East are the five clubs Tabor tabbed as potential title-winners. "We will have tough competition and the big challenge is that we have a completely different team this year, a different philosophy," she said.

 

"Obviously we lost Melina, who was our offense the last three to four years. This year, we will have to move the ball around to different hitters," she added.

 

The Lady Bulldogs went 9-4 at home last season, and Ada has eight home matches scheduled this fall. Ada entertains traditional rival USV Aug. 21, with the league opener slated at NWC foe Bluffton September 11.

 

The first home league match will be Sept. 13 vs. backyard rival Allen East.

 

Ada volleyball at a glance

2017 record: 18-7, 8-0 NWC (champs), district champs

Head coach: Kyleigh Tabor, 1st year

Offense: 5/1

Letter winners back/lost: 4/6

Starters back/lost: 2/4

Top returnees: Sr. OH Raina England, Jr. S Sidney Gossard HM All-NWC, Sr. DS/L Morgan Swick, So. MH Megan Light

Top newcomer: Sr. Rilan Conley, So. Miranda Wills, So. Kendal Guagenti, So. Aubrey Madison

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