Sidney Lehman sweeps Indians (09/07/05)

FORT RECOVERY — Only the best of the best have beaten Fort Recovery thus far. Coach Jackie Briscoe hopes by the end of the season her team can turn those results around.

The Indian volleyball team lost its second straight match Tuesday night, falling 25-16, 25-19, 25-19 to the Sidney Lehman Catholic Cavaliers.

Lehman (7-0), which was ranked fifth in the final Division IV state poll of 2004, went all the way to the regional finals last year before falling to eventual state champion St. Henry. Old Fort, which handed the Tribe its only other loss at the St. Marys Invitational Saturday, was also a regional team in 2004.

Briscoe said her squad made strides in the short time between the two matches and she wants that to continue.

“... we made a lot of mental errors on Saturday,” she said. “I told the kids that we need to focus on lessening those mental errors. ... Tonight I saw lots of improvements. ... We are still making enough mental errors to lose against a solid team like Lehman, and we know that. We know that’s where we need to be by the end of the season and I believe these kids will be there.

“This is about improvement for us, and mentally and physically we’re going to get better.”

Although the Tribe didn’t let either get out of hand, the Cavaliers were in command in each of the first two games. They jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first game, and never let the advantage slip to fewer than four points.

Fort Recovery had a couple of brief advantages early in the second game, but a Claire Frantz kill and three consecutive Tribe errors handed the lead back to Lehman.

The visitors never gave up the advantage for the 2-0 lead.

“It seemed like we controlled the lead a lot the first and second game,” said Cavalier coach Greg Smith. “The third game it was back-and-forth a lot until we got it there at the very end. I thought we passed the ball and got enough people involved in the offense where I felt comfortable with the way we were playing.”

The Indians (4-2) had their chances in the third game as the teams traded the lead seven times. They took their last lead at 17-16, but three straight service errors spelled doom for the home team. Lehman finished off the match with a 9-2 run.

Roshelle Watercutter turned in a big match for the Cavaliers, finishing with a match-high 13 kills. She also had 15 digs.

Emilee Seger had 30 assists, Jessica Slagle totaled 18 digs and Jessica Butt had eight kills and two aces.

“I thought it was a good match,” said Smith. “I thought going into it Fort Recovery has some nice players and always has a nice team. I thought it was going to be a good match, especially coming here, and it was. We had to work hard for every point we got out there.”

The Tribe got 10 kills from Gaerke, but had trouble finding offense elsewhere. Four other Indians had nine or more attacks, but no one was able to swing at more than a .200 percentage as Kelly Link finished second on the team with three kills.

“I think everybody just has to do a little bit more,” said Briscoe. “I’d love to find a second option and we’re working on that right now ... All-around they do a great job of mixing it up. ...

“I think we will improve because we play solid teams. We play good teams, teams that know what it’s like to be in the state or in the regional.”

Gaerke racked up double-digit blocks to go along with her 10 kills. She had 13 blocks, was second on the team with nine digs and notched three points.

Link had six points and six blocks, and Brittany Brackman finished with nine digs and three points. Libero Vicki Roessner had 11 digs, and Lauren Wenning added six blocks.

Abby Niekamp and Jennalee Post split setting duties, finishing with nine and six assists respectively.

Junior varsity

Heather Schmackers had a big match for the Fort Recovery junior varsity team as it stayed undefeated with a 25-12, 25-22 victory over Lehman.

Schmackers racked up 14 assists and 11 points, both team highs. She also had three kills and two digs as the Indians improved to 3-0.

The Tribe dominated the first game, rolling out to a 10-3 lead thanks to six straight service points from Sarah Braun. Lehman got to within five, but Fort Recovery ran off the next eight points to win the game.

Game two was close all the way, but the Indians broke a 22-22 tie on a Kinsey Wenning kill and won the match two points later on an ace from LeAnne Tobin.

Braun followed Schmackers with six points. She also had team highs of four blocks and four kills to go along with five digs.

Tobin had four kills and six digs, and Joanna Snyder also notched four kills. Wenning finished with a pair of blocks.

Freshman

Fort Recovery’s freshman volleyball team dropped a 25-18, 25-11 decision to the Versailles Tigers.

Annie Koesters paced the Indians as she shared team highs of two kills and one block. She also had four points.

Kelsey Wuebker finished with five points and two kills, Chelsea Klenke had four points and Rachel Tobe added one block.

Junior high

MINSTER — Double-digit aces keyed the Fort Recovery eighth grade team as it stayed unbeaten with a 25-17, 25-12 victory over the Minster Wildcats. The seventh grade squad lost to Minster 25-19, 25-11 to fall to 0-3.

The eighth grade Indians (3-0) dominated the serving, getting nine points from Nicole Pottkotter. Emily Link followed with eight points, including five aces, and Jessica Taylor scored all of her five points on aces.

Taylor and Carly Staugler each had a pair of kills, and Beth Link finished with two blocks.

Nichole Kaiser scored eight points for the seventh grade team, and Haley Wilson added five points. Holly Thien and Laura Braun added one kill apiece.[[In-content Ad]]