FR falls to Cavs

FORT RECOVERY — Sometimes you are just outmatched.

That was the case for the Indians as they could never build anything more than a one-point lead.

The aggressive attack of the Division III No. 2 Coldwater Cavaliers was too much for the sixth-ranked Fort Recovery High School volleyball team to handle on Tuesday as they fell 25-17, 25-18, 25-20.

“It’s really difficult when they don’t have any fear,” FRHS coach Travis Guggenbiller said. “We weren’t able to find that fear in those athletes. I think we picked on a couple of them to make them question things but the rest were like ‘I’m just going to keep swinging.’

“As a defense it can be deflating when you think you’re trying then they get a point. Good teams make big plays, so we just have to keep fighting with them.”

The Indians (8-2, 3-1 Midwest Athletic Conference) suffered their first loss of the season to Division IV No. 3 Crestview on Monday night before the Cavaliers (12-1, 3-1 MAC) handed them their first conference loss.

Four different players had strong offensive performances for Coldwater. Madison Wendel (16) and Spencer Etzler (11) both earned double digit kills in the match, while Morgan Blasingame was right behind with nine. Even the Cavaliers’ setter, Mia Knapke found a way to get involved with the attack, tallying seven kills.

“I think Mia did a great job tonight, running the offense and also being an offensive threat too as a setter,” Coldwater coach Nikki Etzler said. “I think that makes it difficult to know (who’s attacking) because she’s our sixth hitter. … I think it was awesome for her to be able to run a lot of different options tonight.”

The Cavaliers attacked early, squashing any chance for Fort Recovery to develop a lead.

The Indians only had a one-point lead at three different points throughout the night. Two of those three times were in the first set – once when it was 6-5 on a Cali Wendel ace and again at 7-6 on a service error from Knapke. The only other lead came at the start of the second set, when the Cavaliers were out of system and couldn’t return a bump from Wendel.

Coldwater found a way to string points together for small runs to keep control. The largest runs of the match came in at five points, the first was a key part to winning the first set as it put the Cavaliers up 18-12. The other five-point run came at the start of the second set after the Indians earned the first point.

Fort Recovery played stronger in the back-half of each set, often trading points with Coldwater.

From a defensive standpoint, Guggenbiller would like to see better production from his front row when it comes to blocking. Paige Guggenbiller and Kennedy Muhlenkamp were the only players with blocks, the former with two and the latter with one.

While he wasn’t impressed by the performance at the net, he did like how the Indians handled serve receptions and dug the ball out when they could. Wendel led the Indians defensively with 18 digs.

“In the beginning I was having a real difficult time,” Wendel said. “Then coach Mandy Diller pulled me to the side and told me ‘Cali, you have to line up off the blocker.’ So I had to act like there was a string off the block to where I was and had to play off of that.”

Teigan Fortkamp led the attack for Fort Recovery. She had a team-high 11 kills as well as an ace. Mara Pearson earned six kills while Kennedy Muhlenkamp added three and Saige Leuthold had one. The Indians are halfway through a stretch of playing four ranked opponents in five matches. They will travel to face the Division IV No.8 Marion Local Flyers tonight before a game against Newton Monday followed by Division III No. 4 St. Henry on Sept. 28.

“Coldwater is a fantastic team. The best team we’ve played so far this year,” Guggenbiller said. “They're gonna put the ball away. So, it's just staying poised through moments.

“I'm proud of my girls. I'm proud that they fought hard today. We’ve got work to do to get better. You take it as a lesson, you just go from there.”