By Cort Reynolds

ADA __The Ada High School volleyball team lost a five-set battle to visiting Lima Central Catholic in their taut Div. VI sectional final bout on Thursday, October 16.

The Bulldog girls won the fourth set to tie the match 2-2 and force a decisive fifth game, but ultimately lost by a 25-18, 15-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-5 score. 

Ada ends its season with a 15-8 record after suffering the defeat. LCC improved to 13-9 with the victory.

Junior Dailah Preston led Ada with 11 kills and five blocks. Junior Brooklynn Andreasen also knocked down 11 kills and added two blocks. 

Senior Anna Conley smacked six kills and came up with eight digs. 

Freshman Téa Griffith drilled five kills, came up with 16 digs, dished out 15 assists and made two blocks.

Senior libero Alyssa Madison mustered up 26 digs. Harlyn Lowry came up with 11 digs, while Taylor Price hustled her way to 10 digs. 

Junior setter Jaylin St. Laurent mustered 12 digs, passed out 18 assists and dealt eight aces. Senior Alainee Buxton contributed three kills. 

The fifth-seeded Thunderbirds advance to play the winner between fourth seed Columbus Grove (10-11) and sixth seed Spencerville (8-14) from the other lower bracket sectional final.

LCC will play the Grove/Spencerville victor in the district semifinals at Wapakoneta on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The T-Birds beat the Bearcats 3-1 on Sept. 11, but lost at CG on Sept. 30, 3-0.

Midwest Athletic Conference power St. Henry (18-5) was seeded first in the district. The Redskins will face second-seeded MAC rival Marion Local (14-9) in the other district semifinal showdown at Ottoville Oct. 21. 

ML swept Wayne Trace 3-0 in their sectional Thursday night at St. Henry. SH whipped Delphos Jefferson 25-10, 25-2, 25-9 Thursday at home.

The district finals will be held Thursday, Oct. 23 in Ottoville at 6 p.m.