DEFIANCE – The #1 seeded Toledo Christian Lady Eagles won the D-IV District Volleyball Championship over the Pettisville Lady Blackbirds on October 24. After falling behind two sets to nil though, the Ladybirds’ resolve to not go quietly into the night stunned the Eagles and forced a fourth set, but it was there that TC prevailed to take the match, 25-8, 25-13, 21-25 and 25-17.
TC had a size advantage everywhere it counted. Be it hitters or defenders, the Ladybirds were dwarfed to one degree or another. That power allowed the Eagles to clobber Pettisville in the first two sets, but they ran into the patent pending Pettisville persistence in the third. As Holgate and Cardinal Stritch also discovered, the Lady Eagles discovered the Lady Blackbirds’ resilience, and their ability to adjust and adapt. Pettisville battled TC back and forth, gaining breathing room and taking the third set, 25-21.
The fourth set saw TC switching gears on the offense. They had used finesse in the first three sets, but they frequently employed the practice of taps over thunderbolts in the fourth. Following a TC set and a charge to the net by a hitter, the Lady Blackbirds would quickly assume a defense for an anticipated barrage, only to receive a soft tap into the middle of a startled defense that was ill-prepared to deal with the curveball over the fastball. Still, the Ladybirds were able to stay within striking range, and frequently took the lead, only to see TC battle back. The breaking point came with both teams still battling back and forth as TC went on a run. The Ladybirds seemed to be stuck on 16 points and were becoming tense under the ever-changing TC offensive attack. Pettisville got to point number 17, but it was too late to stop the Lady Eagles’ rally.
Stephanie Hubby had 28 digs for the D-IV Defiance District Runners-up, with Emily Hubby adding 15 digs, an assist and a dozen kills. Sarah Christiansen added 4 digs, Amber Klopfenstein had 4 digs, and Jordyn Pursel had a pair of aces, 6 digs and 7 kills.
Dana Fricke rang up an ace, a dig, an assist, 18 kills and 2 blocks, Kate Kauffman had 6 digs, 20 assists and a kill, and Brooke Waidelich had 6 digs and 13 assists for the Ladybirds who close the book on their 2013 campaign with a 21-5 / 10-0 record, and championships of the BBC and the D-IV Archbold Sectionals.