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Ace Nation: Trimble Tops Federal Hocking in Back-and-Forth Match

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STEWART, Ohio (WOUB) — The Federal Hocking Lancers and the Trimble Tomcats battled through a back-and-forth match Tuesday night, with Trimble coming out on top in three-sets.  

The opening set began evenly, with both teams trading steady serves. As the set progressed, the Tomcats pulled ahead, stretching the score to thirteen to five and carrying that momentum through the middle portion of play.  

Junior Bailee Bickley strung together several kills for the Tomcats, extending their lead and creating even more separation on the scoreboard. Even though the Lancers worked to match Trimble’s energy, their efforts fell short. The Tomcats kept control down the stretch, closing out the set quickly with a 25–13 victory. 

The second set started strong for Federal Hocking. The Lancers grabbed a four-to-one lead thanks to a few Trimble mistakes, and after a big kill from Juniper Ballew, things were looking good for them.  

But the Tomcats refused to back down, battling all the way back to tie things up at 24–24 and forcing a timeout from the Lancers’ bench. Coming out of the break, Bickley delivered back-to-back kills, and Trimble stunned the crowd by taking the set 28–26. 

Trimble head coach Alicia Drake reflected on the comeback, saying, “We got into our usual second-set slump, but we took one negative and replaced it with two positives.” 

The third set opened with a seven to zero run for the Tomcats. With the Lancers looking for an answer, Junior Karlee Grimm had them. A few sneaky tips got them back in it eight to four.  

The set stayed close for a bit until Federal Hocking began to pull ahead, earning their first lead in some time and refusing to let up. Just like the previous set, the score tightened late and was tied at 25–25. And, in nearly identical fashion, it was Bickley who sealed the deal for Trimble with another kill. 

Trimble comes together to celebrate a point
Trimble comes together to celebrate a point [Tanner Wright | WOUB Public Media]
Reflecting on the pressure of closing out back-to-back sets, Bickley admitted it was a mix of emotions in the moment. “I was definitely excited, kind of intimidated by not knowing if I was going to mess up or not, but I was definitely excited when it ended with the kill,” Bickley said after the game. It was a big moment for her, and one that helped seal the night for the Tomcats. 

Tuesday will bring new challenges for both squads, as the Lancers shift their focus to a matchup with Meigs while the Tomcats turn their attention to Belpre.