Shawnee’s Kelly Cooper hits a spike against Bluffton’s Kendall Stackhouse during Monday night’s match at Lappin Gymnasium.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — It seemed like every time Shawnee had an opportunity around the net, Addison Maxwell (5 feet, 8 inches, Sr.) and Kelly Cooper (5-10, Sr.) were always in the vicinity.
And when the volleyball was hit into Shawnee’s back row, senior Grace Freiberger, the libero, was there to dig it out for a return.
Shawnee’s balanced lineup proved to be the difference in Monday’s three-set non-conference victory (25-18, 25-13, 25-13) over visiting Bluffton at Lappin Gymnasium.
It was the season opener for Shawnee. For Bluffton, the loss evened its record at 1-1 overall.
Shawnee returns a great deal of experience from last year’s squad that went 18-7 overall and 5-4 in the Western Buckeye League.
In Monday’s three-set victory for Shawnee, Cooper led Shawnee and all players with 15 kills. Maxwell had a game-high 36 assists and registered a couple kills of her own. Freiberger had a game-high 19 digs for Shawnee.
Shawnee head coach Brooke Hutchins was pleased at how her squad played in Monday’s season-opener against Bluffton.
“It (combination of Cooper and Maxwell) is pretty unstoppable,” Hutchins said. “(It’s the) first match, I think there were some first-match jitters – maybe a little bit of apprehension, too.
“I think the key for them would be to maintain the elevation that they are playing at. When they’re not overly challenged, they need to keep that passion, fight, and communication. Sometimes I feel like they get a little bit lackadaisical (when leading). So, that’s what we talked about in the huddle – just maintain that communication and play as a team. I think that will be a key point, moving forward.”
In Monday’s first set, Bluffton kept it close, early on.
However, with the Pirates leading 9-7 in the first set, Shawnee then went on a 9-0 run to pull out to a 16-9 lead.
Once the Indians garnered the 7-point lead, the Pirates struggled to get back in the hunt.
In the first set, Cooper hammered five kills, while Maxwell recorded six assists. Freiberger had 10 digs in the first set.
Kendall Stackhouse had four kills for Bluffton in the first set. On the night, Stackhouse recorded seven kills.
Shawnee controlled the final two sets, en route to sweeping the Pirates. Bluffton led just once in the second set, and never led in the third set.
“I think we have a more balanced firepower this year, for sure,” Hutchins said. “We obviously are going to rely heavily on that senior duo (Maxwell and Cooper). We have a lot of strong seniors, including Grace Feiberger in the backcourt, along with Kelly Cooper and Addie Maxwell. We also have some other players who worked hard in the off-season that will also contribute.”
Hutchins is optimistic about this season.
“We lost two seniors (from last year’s team). I have 16 girls dressing, and I have 9 or 10 back (from last year). It’s a strong senior class, but there is also a lot of good support. There are a lot of hard-working girls, who put a lot of work in during the off-season. So, I feel like this is going to be a strong year for us.”
Bluffton’s Avery Talavinia, the libero, had 19 digs in Monday’s loss.
For the game, Shawnee served up seven aces. Lea Rudasill had four of Shawnee’s aces. Bluffton recorded five aces on the night.
Match summary
Shawnee wins 25-18, 25-13, 25-13
Kills – Shawnee: Kelly Cooper 15; Bluffton: Kendall Stackhouse 6
Assists – Shawnee: Addison Maxwell 36; Bluffton: Gracie Yarnell 8
Digs – Shawnee: Grace Freiberger 19; Bluffton: Avery Talavinia 20
Aces – Shawnee: Lea Rudasill 4
Records: Shawnee 1-0; Bluffton 1-1
Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
