By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – In the midst of a brutal section of the schedule, Bedford North Lawrence needed to summon extra energy to deal with another high-level opponent. The well, for both the physical and mental ability to battle a formidable opponent, was a little dry.
Unable to recharge the drained batteries, the Stars could not rise to the next level as New Albany posted a three-set sweep on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs (6-2 overall, 1-1 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) recorded a 25-16, 25-17, 25-16 triumph, with Ellie Scharlow and Addi Vaughn doing a lot of the damage. Scharlow totaled 13 kills, while Vaughn added 27 assists and 11 digs to give New Albany control of the net and the back row.
“They’re a good team,” BNL coach Aaron Wagoner said. “When we watched them on film, they looked beatable. But they’re very big, very physical. They’re very versatile and they capitalized on a lot of mistakes.”
BNL (5-7 with three straight losses, 0-3 in the league) had moments, but the energy and emotional reserves were limited. The recent tests against Floyd Central and Providence (both perennial powers), plus this battle with the Bulldogs, were draining.
“It’s absolutely torturous sometimes,” Wagoner said. “This week we have four matches, and we have a tough schedule. It’s grueling – boom, boom – one right after the other.”
Sara Williams paced the Stars with 15 digs, Sammie Gratzer added 9 kills, and Lily Mischler contributed two service aces. But that was not enough to offset the pop from Callie Loesch (10 kills) and Scharlow (3 aces).
“Our key, every night, is from the service line, whether it’s serving the ball or receiving,” New Albany coach Ryan Woosley said. “I think we serve it pretty tough, with a lot of aggression, pushing people back. If we can pass the ball in front of the 10-foot line, we have kids that rip. If we control the first contact, everything else comes into play. We have kids that can score the points.”
BNL lacked timing and smoothness.
”We played really messy,” Wagoner said. “It’s the growing pains, part of the process.”
The Stars will return to action on Thursday, hosting Bloomington North.
