Tribe derails Bradford

FORT RECOVERY — The Indians had run through a gauntlet of conference opponents in the last few weeks.
All four matches resulted in losses.
As the Tribe got reprieve from the Midwest Athletic Conference, it allowed them to earn a couple more victories.
The Fort Recovery High School volleyball team handled the winless Bradford Railroaders on Monday to the tune of a 25-14, 25-9, 25-14 victory at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
“Tonight … it was a slow-paced game, but it’s good to have that confidence,” said FRHS coach Chelsea Rogers, whose team won in back-to-back matches after defeating Division IV No. 10 Fort Loramie on the road Saturday. “We’re going to take it to them the next two days of practice so that they’re ready for Coldwater on Thursday.”
It took a bit for the Indians (12-6) to get going. A four-point run by Bradford (0-15) tied the score at 11 apiece in the opening set to prompt Rogers into taking a timeout. Out of the break, the Indians immediately committed a net violation to give the Railroaders a brief 12-11 advantage.
Then it was a plethora of mistakes by the visitors that allowed the Tribe to take control.
A service error tied the score yet again, then Bradford had trouble handling Alexis Bubp’s serves. The junior had three aces in the span of four points — the other was a Cassy Martin block — and after an attack by Bradford’s Bianca Keener sailed long, the Railroaders weren’t able to receive cleanly.
“That has been a strong suit for us is our serving,” Rogers said. “I’ve (gotten) a lot of compliments.”
Bubp had nine of the team’s 15 aces.
“We serve aggressive, but I still think we missed too many at the same time,” Rogers said. “We’re not serving to ace, we’re serving to disrupt and that leads to aces.”
Bubp served 10 straight points, three on consecutive aces, during the second set, helping the Tribe balloon its 13-6 advantage to 23-6. The Tribe servers often picked on libero Emily Huggins, dropping the ball in front of her causing her to dive to make a play. Occasionally, she and her other back row teammates let the ball drop in without making an attempt on it.
“The aces are a momentum shift for us,” Rogers said.
Martin led the team with 12 kills and three blocks. Paige Jutte followed with seven kills. Carley Stone and Brooke Gaerke chipped in with five and two kills respectively.
“I thought (Martin) played extremely well,” said Rogers, noting that she’s switched the rotation to give the sophomore more of a role in the offense. “We’re trying to get her more reps and more looks in the front row. We’ve been stressing about finding her. She is a leader for us. Excitement-wise she gets the team going.”
With a undermanned squad across the net and its setter out with an illness, Fort Recovery was able to get experience for its other setters. Junior Kelsey Jutte and sophomore Faith Kahlig both had 10 assists, while Jutte added seven digs and two aces. Senior Carly Link also got some time in the front row.
“We got a lot of girls in there and they went in and did well,” Rogers said. “Faith is only a sophomore yet so we’re still putting in some young girls.
“They accept challenges.”
And the next test for the Indians, as Rogers mentioned, comes Thursday against the Division III No. 3 Cavaliers. Then the Tribe hosts Ansonia on Oct. 10 and Minster Oct. 11 — the Wildcats finished 13th in the most recent Division IV poll — before traveling to New Knoxville on Oct. 13.
“We’re ready for the last two weeks of the season then on to the new season,” Rogers said.

Junior varsity
Like its varsity counterpart, Fort Recovery dominated Bradford 25-3, 25-19.
Harlie Dues had four kills to lead the Indians, who also got three-kill efforts from Rachel Acheson, Hannah Knapke and Reagan Grieshop.
Val Muhlenkamp had six aces on her way to 13 points, with Bailee Tebbe and Acheson adding nine points and five assists apiece. Acheson tallied five aces and Tebbe had two.
Natalie Homan had five points, two aces, a pair of kills and two digs, and Meg Jutte recorded three digs.