Lady Tigers fall in 3 straight sets

GREENFIELD – After winning Monday night in three straight sets, the McClain Lady Tigers dropped their home game against South Central Ohio League opponent Madison-Plains in the same fashion, losing the league contest to the Lady Golden Eagles 26-24, 25-20 and 25-21.

            In the first set the Lady Tigers were one-point away from victory, leading 24-21, but the Lady Golden Eagles fought back and tied the game at 24 with three-straight points after calling a timeout.

            After MP took the lead at 25-24, MHS called a time out, but it was too late, as MP scored the winning point when the Lady Tigers hit the ball out of bounds for the MP 26-24 win.

            In set one, MHS senior Megan Saylor led the Lady Tigers with eight points. Senior teammate Taylor Delph scored five.

            Game two was another close fight between the two SCOL foes.

            MHS jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and then led 4-2 after senior Kate Hammond blasted the ball onto the MP side of the court.

            The Lady Eagles tied the game at four, then took an 8-4 advantage.

            Saylor brought the Lady Tigers within three points of tying the game with a destructive blast toward the Lady Eagles.

            Madison-Plains’ Haley Garrett put her team ahead by four points with a solid strike.

            Junior Kelsey Davis tipped the ball softly over the net for MHS, and was followed by another McClain point to bring the score to 11-6, with MP still leading.

            Delph had a quick hit to score a point for the Lady Tigers to make the score 11-7, but MP extended their lead to 16-9 in the latter stages of set two.

            With two of three points scored by Lady Tiger Jenna Perie, MHS, once again, came within three points of the Lady Eagles’ lead.

            Saylor then put MHS behind just one point (17-16) with a powerful blast, after MP hit the ball out of bounds.

            MHS took the lead with an ace by Saylor. The game was then tied at 19 and 20, with Garrett bringing MP even with the Lady Tigers.

            MP regained the lead at 21-20 when Casey Blesser blocked a hit by MHS. MP scored the next two points to take the second set, winning with a ace by Abby Ames.

            In set two MHS was led by Hammond with eight points. In all three sets Hammond earned 15 total points.

            The final set was another nail bitter with MHS making one final surge late (24-21), but it wasn’t enough as MP’s Nikkee Moller spiked the ball off a McClain player to take the set and win.

            For McClain, Delph scored 11 points in the three sets against MP. Leading MHS was Saylor with 14 points. Perie finished with 10 and Davis with eight. Sasha Lawwell had five points.

            “Taylor (Delph), Kate (Hammond) and Megan (Saylor) hit well for us (Tuesday),” MHS coach Emma Gall said.

            Garrett finished with 13 points for the Lady Golden Eagles. Leading MP was Blesser with 19 points.

            The loss drops MHS to 9-5 overall, 3-4 in the SCOL. MP improves to 7-6 overall, 4-3 in SCOL.

            MHS will play again Monday as they take on non-league foe Paint Valley at 5:30 p.m.