KALIDA — Coldwater had it, Ottawa-Glandorf wanted it, but the Cavaliers just wouldn’t let go and the result was a district volleyball championship for the Cavaliers.
It was momentum and Coldwater grabbed “the big mo” early when it went ahead 10-4 in the first game of the match and forced the Titans to play catch-up the rest of the way.
O-G never quit but the uphill battle was too much to overcome and Coldwater grabbed the Division III title with a 25-22, 25-17, 26-24 sweep Saturday afternoon at Kalida.
The Titans did manage to battle back and grabbed a 16-15 lead in that first game, but the energy expended in that comeback charge may have been too much and the Cavaliers closed out the first game on a 10-7 run.
Coldwater (19-7) dominated at the net against the smaller Titans and only five service errors kept the first game from being more one-sided. Those service errors were of little concern to Cavs coach Mike Etzler.
“We don’t call it serving,” Etzler said. “We call it attacking from the end line.”
Coldwater jumped out to a quick 9-1 lead in the second game as they raced to a 25-17 win that put them up by a commanding 2-0.
The Titans, who finish the season 20-6, led as late as 21-19 in the third game but Coldwater was not to be denied as it bounced back to close out the game, and the match, when they won the third game 26-24.
“We dug a big hole and then were playing catch-up,” O-G coach Ann Ellerbrock said. “We never gave up, kept our composure and made some runs but their blockers gave us less (offensive) options.”
The Titans were led by senior Kelley Selhorst who totaled 24 assists and 22 digs, senior Kristi Jerwers with 22 digs and 7 kills, and sophomore Anna Bellman with a perfect 17-of-17 serves. Kelsey Baldwin totaled 25 digs to lead the Titans in that category.
The Cavaliers advance to regional action for the first time since 2006 and will meet the winner of the Archbold/Otsego match Thursday at Findlay.
“I thought that my senior libero Jamie Bills took control of the match and we expect that from her,” Etzler said. “I feel awesome for the girls. We just tell them to give maximum effort on every point.”
Bills totaled 28 digs to go along with a perfect 17-of-17 serving match.
Other Cavaliers’ leaders included Macy Reigelsperger with 16 kills, Whitney Schaefer with24 assists and 12-of 13 serves, Brooke Welsch with 8 kills and 8 digs.
