SHAWNEE — The Shawnee volleyball team broke a futility streak against Ottawa-Glandorf Thursday night to claim an outright Western Buckeye League crown with a 17-25, 25-11, 25- 14, 29-27.
It had been before 2007 since the Indians (18-1, 8-0 WBL) had last defeated the Titans (9-11, 6-2 WBL). Shawnee won its first volleyball title in the league and it was also Shawnee’s Spike Out Cancer match.
O-G started out well behind 6 first-set kills by Sienna Fry (20 overall). The Titans built a 20-11 lead at one point on a kill by Marly Buddelmeyer and Shawnee did get within 20-15 on a kill by Kelly Cooper (9 kills in the set, 27 overall) but O-G took the opener on a hitting error by Shawnee set up by a block from Ella White.
Shawnee replied with a vengeance in set two. Once Shawnee setter Addie Maxwell (46 assists) started to find middle hitter Cooper consistently, as well as other teammates, Shawnee was off and running. It had a 19-9 edge on a Addie Kriegel/Cooper (9 stuffs) combo stuff. That same duo closed off a 6-0 spurt to even the match.
Shawnee again came out strong in set three as Karleigh Hutchins (17 kills) started to get untracked and helping build a 21-10 advantage on a Cooper stuff and a Hutchins hit off the defense game the Indians a 2-1 set lead.
O-G responded in the fourth set and it was a battle. The largest lead any team had was the Titans’ 9-3 bulge on a Fry bomb but the hosts replied and the tussle was joined. From then on, neither team could go on a major run. O-G had a 4-point spurt against match point to tie it at 24 on an Alexa Glenn ace. Shawnee kept getting the lead and the Titans replied until it was 27-all. A pair of Hutchins kills, the second ruled off a Titan defender, sealed the WBL title.
Addy Bellman totaled 43 assists to pace the visitors. Ella White had 8 kills and 3 stuffs and Buddelmeyer 7 kills.
The guests were minus the injured Katie Kauffman.
Dave Boninsegna wrote this story for LimaScores.com. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
