Fort Recovery has rally with Cards fall short

NEW BREMEN, Ohio — Two years ago the Indians upset the Cardinals, the top-ranked team in the state.

Last season they again upset the Cardinals, who were defending a state championship.

The Indians were unable to make it three upsets in a row.

Fort Recovery High School’s volleyball team forced a decisive fifth set but came up just short of beating the New Bremen Cardinals for the third consecutive year Tuesday in a 22-25, 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 18-16 loss to its conference rival.

The setback dropped the Division IV No. 6 Indians to 16-5 (5-3 Midwest Athletic Conference), while the No. 2 Cardinals improved to 20-1 (7-1 MAC) and remained in a tie with top-ranked St. Henry for first place in the conference.

Paige Fortkamp ripped 19 kills to lead Fort Recovery, and Paige Jutte fired 12 kills in her return to action after missing the last two matches. Whitley Rammel followed with 11 kills, and Grace Guggenbiller had five kills.

Kierra Wendel registered 27 digs, and Rammel had a team-best five blocks. Hope Wendel set up the offense with 29 assists.

Fort Recovery’s junior varsity team also lost, 25-22, 25-14. Melissa Laux and Audra Bubp totaled three kills each.



Year ends

MARION — The No. 1 doubles duo of the Jay County boys tennis team had its season end Tuesday in the sectional tournament at Marion.

Senior Sheldon Upp and sophomore Gavin Myers lost their first match to the Mississinewa tandem of Riley Fuqua and Ryan Scott, 6-2, 6-0.

Upp and Myers advanced to the doubles tournament after going undefeated during the team sectional tournament the Patriots hosted last week.

Winchester, which won the team sectional crown, lost to Delta 5-0 in the regional semifinal Tuesday.



Indians win

VERSAILLES, Ohio — Fort Recovery’s seventh and eighth grade volleyball teams both defeated the Versailles Tigers on Tuesday.

The eighth graders won 25-15, 19-25, 25-17, and the seventh graders won 25-14, 25-8.

Chloe Bubp led the eighth graders with five aces, and Mara Pearson recorded eight kills. Allison Knapke had four aces as well.

Nevaeh Lennartz totaled 14 service points, including four aces, for the seventh grade team, which also got five aces and a pair of kills from Ella Schoen as well as six kills and four aces from Kennedy Muhlenkamp.