IAC VOLLEYBALL: EDISON 'BATTLES,' BUT FALLS TO TIOGA IN SWEEP (24 PHOTOS) (2021-09-08)

By TIM BIRNEY
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA HEIGHTS — Thomas A. Edison “battled” for three sets, but long service runs by Tioga in each set helped it to a 3-0 sweep of the Lady Spartans here Wednesday night in season-opening IAC volleyball action.

The Lady Tigers won by scores of 25-12, 25-20 and 25-23.

“We battled, kept our heads up, and tried to keep our energy up,” said Edison coach Paul Richmond. “You just can’t keep coming back from five or six points all the time, especially against a team like Tioga.”

Tioga jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the first set on five straight service points by Nina Spano, but the Lady Spartans roared back, trimming the deficit to 12-11 on five straight service points by Hayleigh Vanderhoff.

After a sideout, however, Tioga’s Julia Bellis served up seven straight points for a commanding 20-11 lead.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair until Bellis had a four-point service run to give the Lady Tigers a 20-16 lead. A pair of aces by Molly Bombard pushed the Tioga lead to 24-20.

In the third set, Reese Howey had a five-point run for Tioga to give it a 16-14 lead. Tioga never trailed again, and pushed its lead to 24-20, before holding on for a 25-23 win to close out the match.

“We keep track of how many times another team has at least a 5-0 run against us because thats a fifth of a set,” said Richmond. “You can’t let those big chunks go against you.

“That said, it’s Tioga, they are all over the court, and you never know when the ball’s coming back over the net.,” he noted. “They have a great offense, and they’re well-coached.

“It’s always a battle against them, we just couldn’t pull out any of the sets tonight,” Richmond added.

Richmond likes playing Tioga early in the season.

“We’re in different divisions, so it makes no difference when we play them, but I’d rather play them early. It shows us what we have to work on.

“One thing we’re going to work on soon … our best player (Maren Lutz) got one swing tonight, and that’s unacceptable,” said Richmond. “We can’t play a team like Tioga and let her have one swing, and no kills.

“We’ll work on it, and we’ll fix it,” he added. “That’s why we play these games.”

Maren Lutz led Edison with seven service points, including two aces, six setter assists, and five blocks, while Jadyn Wood had seven points (two aces), four kills, three blocks, and four digs, and Gabby Milazzo added six points and was 10-for-10 on service returns.

Harper Hoffman registered three kills and four blocks for the Lady Spartans, while Ashlyn Maggs had three kills and five digs, Hayleigh Vanderhoff recorded five assists, Emma Maggs added three kills, and Megan Goff chipped in with three digs.

Bellis led Tioga with 13 points (two aces), 10 kills, one block, and seven digs, while Spano added eight points (two aces), five kills and four digs, Bombard had five points (four aces), 14 assists, six digs, and two kills, Howey had five points, eight digs, two kills, and three blocks, and Lilly Mesler dished out six assists.

Edison returns to action Thursday at Candor.

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IN PHOTO 1: Edison’s Hayleigh Vanderhoof. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.