DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Area volleyball teams were all in action Tuesday evening in contentious conference action, with the Bellmont Braves fighting to remain unbeaten in the NE8 and the ACAC race taking a big turn.
We take a look here on WZBD.com at all of the results and statistics as we prepare for our volleyball game of the week Thursday when Leo travels to Bellmont to take on the Braves.
Bellmont 3 East Noble 1 (19-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-19)
Coming back from a night that saw Bellmont struggle in a sweep on the road to Coldwater (OH), the going was not easy for the Braves when they switched back to conference play against East Noble on their home court on Tuesday evening.
A lack of focus led the home team to an early deficit in the opening set, one that they couldn’t easily overcome. Trailing 20-15, coach Craig Krull did not mince his words in a fiery timeout speech to his team, asking them if they had learned anything from the night before.
While the Braves were too far behind in the first set to comeback, their play did improve. East Noble won the opener 25-19, but the Braves had a lead for much of the second. As the score approached the 20s, the visitors jumped back in front, leading at one point, 20-19.
The set, however, went to the Braves at 25-21, thanks, in part, to some nice play at the net by Kaylee Kolter and a consistent attack by MaryKate Scheumann.
The two teams were neck and neck in the third until Bellmont built a four-point lead at 18-14 and extended it to 21-16, prompting a time out by the Knights.
East Noble came out of the break with renewed vigor, crawling all the way back to a 23-23 deadlock.
Bellmont could not get the ball out of the net on the next crucial point and East Noble was suddenly serving for the set, prompting coach Krull to take another time out.
Out of the time out, MaryKate Scheumann took a big swing, but East Noble somehow scrambled enough to put it back over. The Braves leveled the score, though at 24-24 with a big kill to the back corner by Brea Shoaf.
Ella Ross served the Braves to victory with the next two points, one from a kill by Kolter and the other from Scheumann on set point.
The Braves pulled away fairly late from East Noble in the fourth and final set, winning the match on their third attempt at match point on a kill by Shoaf.
It was the 41st victory in a row in NE8 play.
Scheumann led the Braves with 23 kills (and three aces), while Kolter had a career night with 11 kills. Katie Reinhart had eight and Brea Shoaf seven.
Kolter led the Braves at the net with three kills.
Five Braves reached double digits in digs: Ella Ross 16, Averie Coats 15, Gracie Riggs 13, MaryKate Scheumann 12, Taylor Sutter 10.
Lilly Selking had 33 assists and Gracie Riggs had 17.
Jay County 3 South Adams 2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-12, 15-10
The Patriots wrestled control of the ACAC lead away from South Adams and Heritage with an instant classic against the Starfires. Jay County dropped the opening two sets by scores of 25-23, but came together in the third to take control of the match and the conference title race.
Reagan Bollenbacher led the Starfires with 18 kills.
Bluffton 3, Adams Central 2 (25-16, 26-28, 22-25, 25-18, 15-9) (No stats received from Adams Central)
Woodlan 3, Heritage 2 (25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 23-25, 15-13) (No stats received from Heritage)
Other Local Scores
Wabash 3 Whitko 1
Maconaquah 3 Rochester 0
Hamilton Southeastern 3 Roncalli 1
Garrett 3 Westview 0
Lakewood Park Christian 3 FW North Side 0
FW Snider 3 FW Wayne 0
Carroll (FW) 3 Warsaw 0
Norwell 3 Columbia City 0
Southern Wells 3 FW Canterbury 2
About the Author
