TROY – Bradford lost to Russia in its first match of the Ohio High School Athletic Association volleyball tournament on Saturday, falling 25-9, 25-10, 25-6.
“I just feel like we weren’t in it,” Bradford volleyball coach Holly Beam said. “Players that usually pass really well for me did not pass very well today. We really didn’t get many opportunities to swing at the ball, and when we did it wasn’t an aggressive swing or it was out. So it’s hard to really get some momentum when you’re making so many errors.”
Russia led throughout the entire first set on its way to a 25-9 victory.
Bradford scored the first two points of the second set, but then Russia went on a 4-0 run and never relinquished the lead. The Raiders won the game 25-10 to go up two games to none.
Russia led throughout the third set as well on its way to a 25-6 victory and a three-set sweep.
With Saturday’s loss, Bradford ended the season with a 2-21 record with victories against National Trail and Northridge.
“These girls had a lot to overcome,” Beam said. “They came from two disappointing seasons, and I came in expecting a lot out of them. I changed up the way that their defense was. I changed up the way that their offense was. Overall statically we are a better team than we were last year and the year before that. So I am not disappointed with the way that they played overall this season. They really improved and did a lot better than what they had the last two years.”
The loss also marked the end of the high school volleyball careers of Bradford seniors Ivee Brubaker, Hannah Fout, Brooke Fair, Aspen Weldy and Bailey Wysong.
“They were a lot of fun,” Beam said of her seniors.
