(October 28th, 2014): Soaring ever upwards, one Lady Blackbird flew high above her Buckeye Border Conference (BBC) competition this season.
Of course, that’s entirely a reflection on how dominant a player Dana Fricke was during the year, as her Pettisville team faced off against some tough, tenacious teams in league play. That didn’t slow down the Blackbird assault on the BBC, however.
Leading her team to a perfect 11-0 record against league opponents, having played Hilltop in the Archbold Spiketacular aside from the their two meetings within the confines of the BBC, Fricke was dominant against every conference foe. Averaging 13.6 kills and 3.7 blocks in matches against fellow BBC teams, the Pettisville senior played above the net with a ferocity which greatly intimidated many a girl facing her from the opposite side of the court. With 3.9 digs and 1.2 aces per BBC match, she displayed a bit of versatility to her game as well.
Fricke continued her high level of play into the post-season, representing the BBC quite well. As Pettisville procured a first round bye, the unit’s first match was a win in the sectional finals against Edgerton. They then went on to lose a very competitive match with Toledo Christian. In those two contests, Fricke led her team with 16.5 kills, 4 blocks, and 5 digs per match.
Such a high standard of excellence being shown by Fricke throughout the season, it should come as no surprise that the Lady Blackbird was awarded the honor of Buckeye Border Conference Player of the Year. After all, few players in the league would be able to reproduce her offensive and defensive efforts on a consistent basis. Nor could anyone strike fear into the hearts of their opponents the way Fricke did when she leaped to attack the ball.
Flying well above the net, as well as the competition.