Sports
Ace Nation: The Tigers sweep the Bulldogs in the jungle
By: Thomas Billington
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MARIETTA, Ohio (WOUB) — High School volleyball continues to progress with their Tournament Play. This Thursday the Marietta Tigers played host to the Athens Bulldogs. This game would put two heavy-hitting teams up against each other.
Once the game started the Tigers quickly gained the lead. With Marietta’s Haley Wilkinson scoring on both a block and kill. To aid the Tigers by getting a five to one lead. Causing Athens to call their first timeout of the. This would not be enough as The Tigers would continue to gain momentum. Another kill and an Ace from Wilkinson would aid in the Tiger’s march forward. An Ace from the Tigers, Anna Ritter, would bring out another timeout from Athens. But Ritter would strike again, securing another ace, right after the game resumed. Athens would manage to mount a comeback with the help of back-to-back aces from Alexa Reed. This would not be enough as the Tigers would take the first set, 25 to 11.
The second set began with a back-and-forth battle for the lead. Marietta’s Tori Dawson gave The Tigers three points off a block and two kills. But Athens would be put down that easily as the Bulldogs would strike back with three aces in a row from Rylee Toadvine. Tying the set up at nine all. However, Tiger’s Arianna Buckley would strike with a kill. Followed up by an ace, to give Marietta the lead back. The Tigers would bring up a set point, before Athens would call a timeout. This did not stop Marietta, as Buckley would strike again with an ace to end the set, 25 to 17.
The third set was a must-win for the Bulldogs, as their season would be on the line. The set would begin similarly to the second. A kill from Buckley would tie the setup at three. The Tigers would continue to extend their lead all the way up to 10. But an Athens timeout would revitalize the Bulldogs, as the team would go on a five-point scoring run. An Ace from Caitlyn Hayes would tie the set at 10 all. Buckley would strike again, with another kill to give The Tigers the lead back. But Athens’s Mabel Monday would retie the game at 12. Scoring with back-to-back kills. Athens would call a timeout, but the Tigers would not slow. As kills from Buckley and Ritter would end the set, 25 to 15.
With this loss, Athens was eliminated from the Ohio High School Volleyball Playoffs. Marietta continues their playoff run at Logan High School as they take on Sheridan on Tuesday.