Indians open by crushing Mississinawa (08/31/05)

FORT RECOVERY — By the third game, the Indians were as good as advertised.

The Fort Recovery volleyball team allowed the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks to hang around briefly in each of the first two games, but blew them away in the third. That was all the Indians needed as they finished off their season-opening victory quickly, 25-9, 25-18, 25-6.

“I was pleased with the first game because it’s always good to get out the jitters,” said FRHS coach Jackie Briscoe. “... In the third game I felt that we settled down and finally got in the groove and really started to play Fort Recovery volleyball.”

The Blackhawks (0-2) led through the first half of the second game, but Fort Recovery eventually wrested control and never looked back. The Tribe gave up the serve just four times in the final game.

With her team leading 4-3, junior middle hitter Tiff Gaerke slammed down a kill and then stepped behind the service line. She ripped off aces on four of her first five serves, baffling Mississinawa senior Beth Brooks twice, knocking one off the net and letting the other fall short in front of several diving Blackhawks.

Gaerke only gave up control when she went for the more aggressive jump serve, which flew long. However, after Rachel Stahl took the ball moments later the Indians never gave it back.

Stahl served up the final 12 points of the match — she had 14 service points in all — with one ace in the process. Alicia Schwieterman and Kelly Link each had a pair of kills during the stretch, and Schwieterman also notched a stuff block.

“I thought the good thing we did was we played as a team,” said Briscoe. “Every kid on my bench tonight contributed — every one.”

Schwieterman came off the bench with four kills and three blocks to go along with Stahl’s team-best 14 points.

Mississinawa Valley stayed close briefly in the first game, trailing 9-6 before a Kelly Link kill started a 7-0 Tribe run. Julie Link served a couple of aces as the Tribe pulled ahead, and Kelly Link and Holly Stein each had a kill.

The Blackhawks led through the first 21 points of game two only to fall apart as Fort Recovery went on a 16-6 run.

Gaerke and Abby Niekamp started the stretch, teaming for a 7-0 run. Niekamp had two aces and a kill, and Gaerke notched a pair of kills to turn a 12-9 deficit into a 16-12 lead.

The Indians never trailed again in game two and then rolled in game three.

Gaerke finished with a team-high nine kills for the Indians, and Kelly Link followed with eight. Niekamp notched five kills, 10 points and 23 assists.

Vicki Roessner, a junior in her first match at the libero position, notched a team-best six digs.

“This was a good starting point,” Briscoe said. “It showed the girls and me what we need to work on. It brought out the things we really need to focus on and concentrate on in practice. That’s good for us.

“We always need to work on serving. We still need to be more aggressive with serving, we still need to be more consistent with serving. ... I thought tonight we passed the battle better than I’ve seen us pass in scrimmages.”

Mississinawa Valley managed very little offense, getting just two kills apiece form Kelley Livingston and Kristy Moneysmith and one from Mackenzie Livingston.

Mackenzie Livingston had two blocks and an ace, and Kelley Livingston had four digs. Kayla Neargarder posted three assists.

Still, Blackhawk coach Tricia Seubert said she was happy with the way her team played after losing its opener to Ansonia Monday night.

“The first two games we came out strong, the girls were pumped,” said Seubert. “We had a tough night last night in our first match I think we got the jitters out and were ready to go tonight. I told the girls, we’re a young team, we have one senior, but I don’t think we came out like a young team tonight.”

Junior varsity

Fort Recovery’s junior varsity volleyball team also opened its year with a victory over Mississinawa Valley, 25-9, 25-20.

The Indians dominated the first game, getting a long run of service points from Joanna Snyder. They had more errors in game two to allow the Blackhawks to stay close, holding just a 23-20 lead.

However, Sarah Braun came up with a kill and a block following a timeout to finish off the Fort Recovery victory.

Snyder notched a team-high six kills, and matched Braun and Kinsey Wenning with two blocks. She also had seven points and one dig.

Heather Schmackers finished with 10 points and four assists, and Angie Wenning had seven points and seven assists.

Braun had four kills and three digs, and LeAnne Tobin picked up two digs.[[In-content Ad]]