By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (August 16, 2025) – For most of the day, Pettisville’s April Beck was as calm on the sideline as she would be watching “Pioneer Woman”, on a Sunday morning, finding something to prep for dinner that night.
That’s because Beck watched her Blackbirds cook up a gourmet-like recipe on the court in a 25-18, 25-11, 25-10 romp over Antwerp, spurred on by what is arguably the most creative and vocal student section in the area.
“We did lose some key seniors from last year,” said Beck about a team that was 20-4 and won a BBC title.
“We’ve been working hard at filling in spots and finding out what is best for everybody. Miriam (Richer) sure doesn’t look like a freshman does she?
“And Becca Strauss was our libero last year and now stepped into a full rotation and she put the ball down well today.”
The Blackbirds simmered a bit early, falling behind in the first set 8-5, as the Archers’ Amelia Graham nailed three rightside kills and scored another on an ace.
Strauss’ bump fell to the wood and gave the ball back to the Blackbirds, and from that point, Pettisville created a fast-baking dish for the rest of the match.
Strauss stuck three aces, along with another serve that bounced around the Archers’ end without a clean hit, and Richer scored on a tip, then a left side shot to turn the three point deficit into a 12-8 Pettisville lead.
Clara Rohrs aced the Blackbirds twice to regain a 13-12 Antwerp margin, but bad serve and a missed attack regained a Blackbird lead.
Libero Ava Hockenberry recorded two more aces; Courtney Wiemken slapped back an Archer attack for another point and Richer painted the left sideline to boost the Blackbirds up 21-13.
Appropriately enough, it was Richer’s ace that ended the first set and one from Grace Hastings that began the second.
After Hastings’ score, Pettisville notched five more points on a Macy Hoylman kill, a stuff from Wiemken and a second ace from Hastings to jump up 6-0.
Blackbird after Blackbird got into the act after that as Addison Davis scored on a block, Wiemken and Hoylman scored from the left and yes, there was another ace, this one from Strauss to end a 25-11 rout in the second set.
“They just came in with a really competitive attitude,” Beck said of the trio of Hoylman, Davis and Wiemken.
“They have been working really hard, and you know, we say ‘just get out there and play, finish the point, finish the set’, and they executed very well.”
Richer’s punch began the third set, and after Graham gave the Archers a one point lead with a right side hit, the Blackbirds again rolled.
Davis knocked one to the wood from the middle, Strauss blocked Graham at the net for a score, Hoylman nailed an ace and Davis blasted a missile, much to the delight of the raucous and inventive student group, that put Pettisville on top 12-5.
“They showed up today didn’t they,” Beck expressed with a laugh, speaking of the student section. “For a Saturday, I mean they really filled it in with their white-out theme. Those guys just love being here, it’s a great climate.”
A trio of Strauss aces and a Richer kill bounced the bulge to 18-5. Antwerp got within 19-9 on three misses by Pettisville but Richer regained control with a massive swat from the left side, then the 5’3″ freshman ended the match with a pair of serving aces.
“I think as a whole this is the first time we’ve come together this well,” stated Beck. “We had some scrimmages with some different lineups and everything, but overall, I think we finally came together, and everybody did their job well as a unit. It just worked; it clicked.”