Bellevue wins first two sets, but falls to O-G

MILLER CITY — Bellevue won the first two sets in its first district volleyball final since 2019. The Lady Red came up short, though, after Ottawa-Glandorf rallied to win in five sets in a matchup of Division IV No. 1 seeds Thursday. In the fifth set, Bellevue tied it at 11 apiece on a Finley LaPata kill. Two kills from Ella White broke that tie and put the Titans up 13-11. LaPata got the last point of the match for Bellevue on a block at the net to cut O-G's lead to 13-12. However, it wasn't meant to be as a block from Grace Kahle and kill from Allison Kuhlman sealed the match and a trip to the regionals for O-G. The Titans turned back Bellevue 19-25, 20-25, 25-12, 25-18, 15-12 at Miller City High School. "We knew it was going to be a battle and that's what a district championship is supposed to be," Bellevue coach Liana Petitti said. "It's stings that we were up two sets to none and then we lost it, but I couldn't be more proud of my team. They gave it everything they had." In the fifth set, Bellevue (19-6) and O-G (21-3) tied the set five times. Bellevue didn't lead in the set, but LaPata had three kills that tied it at 2-2, 4-4 and 11-11. In Set 1, the Lady Red built a four-point lead with kills from Calie Cramer and LaPata raining over the net. Bellevue had a seven-point gap when Zoe Crooks had a block and a kill to make it 12-5. Errors from the Titans ran Bellevue's lead to 24-19 and LaPata closed out the set with one more kill. In Set 2, O-G's Allison Kuhlman had a kill to bring it 23-20, but Bellevue took the set after the ball went into the net on the Titans' side and LaPata timed a perfect defensive block. O-G changed the tide in Set 3 and and never relented. In the fourth set, Bellevue tied it at 6-6 on a LaPata kill, before O-G scored three straight. The Lady Red came racing back on a kill from Ellie Freitag, making it 14-12. Bellevue got within 18-16 on an O-G error before the Titans closed it out to force the fifth set. Petitti, who started coaching the Lady Red four years ago, knew that her team had the potential to get to the district finals. "God was looking out for me when I had this group of seniors as my first year," Petitti said. "I have been with these girls for four years and they have been a blessing. They have grown with me, and they have gotten better every single year. My heart hurts for these seniors for them to go out like this, but they gave it everything they could with their heart." LaPata had a double-double with 21 kills and 23 digs. Fellow senior Kate Baptista had 42 digs. Cramer had 15 kills and Mazie Gracemyer had six kills. Freitag had 45 assists and 16 digs. Emma Krall had 20 digs and Jocelynn Heuring added 16. LaPata, Freitag and Baptista were standout seniors for the Lady Red when it came to leadership. "They were thrown into varsity right away," Petitti recalls. "They absorbed everything that I have told them. They have shown the younger girls how to continue to keep getting better. "It shows the younger girls that you have to work for what you want and do it with a good heart and kind face."