Falling in five sets to Capital City back on Thursday, Sept. 2, Jamie Ridenhour’s Owensville Dutchgirl volleyball team looked to bounce back last Tuesday in a Highway 28 showdown at Belle against the host Lady Tigers.

Able to take the first two sets on the road against the Lady Tigers, OHS nearly needed a fourth set to claim Highway 28 volleyball bragging rights for another year.

Tied at 19-19 after a Dutchgirl service error, a Belle service error gave the ball right back to Owensville and a 20-19 lead.

Drew Copeland then served the final five points of the third set giving OHS game three and the match 25-18, 25-17 and 25-19.

Josie Gerlemann recorded a team-high 10 kills for the Dutchgirls to go along with four from Kyla Hendrix and three from Keira Hendrix.

Serving up a team-high two aces each were the Dutchgirl junior duo of Molly Wnuk and Payton Boyd. Kylie Kitchen and Kayden Wood also served an ace apiece.

Adding to her team-high 10 kills, Gerlemann also recorded a team-high seven blocks.

Olivia Vandegriffe led the Dutchgirls in the dig department with eight followed closely by the Hendrix twins with seven apiece.

Elise McFalls and Copeland also added six digs each.

Kitchen dished out a team-high 14 assists followed closely by Kyla Hendrix with 12.

Owensville also defeated Belle in the junior varsity match by scores of 25-16 and 25-18.

Two nights later back at OHS, the Dutchgirls hosted Rolla’s Lady Bulldogs last Thursday night.

In side-by-side action, the Dutchgirl freshman fell to Rolla in two sets 25-15 and 26-24 while the JV Dutchgirls defeated Rolla in two sets 25-20 and 25-14.

This meant the varsity match would decide who claims the tripleheader.

Going five sets a week ago with Capital City, the Dutchgirls once again were pushed to five sets by the Lady Bulldogs.

Leading two sets to one after the third set, OHS dropped the next two sets and the match to Rolla 25-19, 18-25, 23-25, 25-17 and 15-13.

Three Dutchgirls reached double digits in kills against Rolla led by Gerlemann and Kyla Hendrix with 11 apiece. Wood added 10 kills.

Wood also served up a team-high four aces against Rolla.

Gerlemann turned away a team-high seven blocks followed closely by freshman Addi Menz with six blocks.

Vandegriffe recorded 34 digs to pace the Dutchgirls.

Kitchen and Kyla Hendrix had 18 assists apiece against Rolla.

Saturday at the Fulton Tournament held in California, OHS reached the semifinals before falling to Eldon.

Stats were not available from California at press time.