Athens volleyball survives five-set thriller with Amanda-Clearcreek

AMANDA — Things can get weird on the weekends.

Playing in a bit of a shocker on Saturday, Athens volleyball was put to the test against a three-win Amanda-Clearcreek team. Surviving in the end and going down to the very last point, the Bulldogs (15-3, 8-0 Tri-Valley Conference-Ohio) fell down 2-1 before battling back to grab the final two sets to steal victory over the Aces (3-15, 1-8 Mid-State-Buckeye) on the road.

The final scoresheet read 25-16, 19-25, 21-25, 25-17, 15-13 in favor of Athens.

Showing more mental fortitude by being able to withstand the pressure-packed situation, the win was the first time Athens played in a fifth set all season long.

It was a total group effort in the extended contest with five different players recording at least six kills. Rylee Toadvine took full control with a team-high 17 spikes while Mabel Monday and Caitlyn Hayes each tallied nine. Liza Hartman tallied seven kills while Ava Meili added six.

Sofia Smith, coming off a milestone achievement earlier in the week, garnered 41 assists in the win. The team also grabbed 12 aces in total with Hayes’ four leading the way.

Defensively, Grace Inboden had another excellent night in the back row with a team-high 31 digs. Toadvine complimented her offensive effort with 25 digs herself while Alexa Reed added 13.

Looking to secure a TVC-Ohio title with just four divisional games remaining, Athens next hits the court on Tuesday when the team travels out to River Valley to take on the Raiders.