By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (August 25, 2025) – Pettisville gave coach April Beck a stress free night, as the Blackbirds scored from a variety of spots and angles in a 25-16, 25-9, 25-7 sweep of Fayette.
“We have several people ready to go and it’s been exciting to watch the development and learn. Tonight was a good night to get people on the floor,” Beck explained of the number of scorers the Blackbirds had in the match.
Becca Strauss gave the Blackbirds a jumpstart with a stuff of an overpass and a bullet off a block for an 8-3 lead. That margin expanded to 17-7 when Macy Hoylman drilled a right side kill.
However, the Eagles battled back to 20-15, ringing up six straight points keyed by Kennedy Kunkle’s tip and a left side shot from Ellie Williams.
A serve into net ended the Eagles run and Caroline Sterken followed with an ace that began a 5-1 to end the first set.
Freshman Miriam Richer was the key component with an ace and a pair of bombs from the left to boost Pettisville on top 9-2.
That bulge continued to snowball the rest of the set as the Blackbirds clamped down any offensive attack from the Eagles, while getting on a roll hitting.
Richer recorded three more kills, Addison Davis stuffed an Eagle attack for a block kill, Strauss aced Fayette back-to-back, and Grace Hastings added another ace to help finish out the second set rout.
The Blackbirds were even more precision-like in the third set. Hastings’ ace started the set, and after a Pettisville attack went wide, the Blackbirds rebounded with 16 straight points.
Courtney Wiemken nailed consecutive shots from the middle, Richer ripped a whopping five aces during the explosion, and Hoylman added two more kills before Mesa Gorsuch’s dig kill ended the burst.
After that, it was a “whole lotta” Strauss. The high-rising senior outside smacked down six kills, four in a row at one point to put a clincher on the match.
Beck talked about the importance of getting their offense in shape with a number of upcoming games against league teams.
“We have a Volley for the Cure match tomorrow at Edon and then we have Montpelier here on Thursday. That’s two teams that will be ready to compete and we will need to be ready to go.
Fayette gets right back into it as they host North Central on Tuesday and Evergreen on Thursday.
Pettisville d. Fayette, 25-16, 25-9, 25-7
Fayette (1-4): no statistics
Pettisville (2-2): Becca Strauss – 15 kills, 5 digs; Mirian Richer – 28/28 serving, 8 aces, 5 kills, 12 digs; Grace Hastings – 29 assists
JUNIOR VARSITY: Pettisville, 28-26, 25-10