Ottawa-Glandorf reacts after a win against Shawnee during Thursday’s match at Ottawa-Glandorf High School.
OTTAWA – Ottawa-Glandorf claimed at least a share of their 11th Western Buckeye League Championship Thursday night at R.J. Hermiller Gymnasium.
The Titans fell in the opening set 25-21 before sweeping Shawnee the rest of the evening 25-23, 25-23, and 25-18 to clinch their first conference crown since 2020.
“Honestly it has just been really cool to see all of the growth this team has made throughout the season. From August 1 until now it has been amazing,” said first-year head coach Maddie Hauenstein. “I think we have just put in a lot of work everyday and it is paying off. A WBL championship is pretty cool and something to be really proud off for this team.”
Ottawa-Glandorf (13-6, 8-0) saw themselves sprint out to a 8-3 lead before the visiting Indians crawled their way back. Ottawa-Glandorf saw their five-point trickle away as the match progressed. Shawnee tied the opening set at 19 apiece.
Karleigh Hutchins was a force all night for Shawnee (14-6, 7-1). Whether Hutchins was at the service line or guarding the net, she was a difference maker, particularly in the first set as she wheeled her Indians to a 25-21 set win.
“Karleigh is small but mighty has a very high volleyball IQ, she is a sixth rotation player, and we use her in all six positions. She is a dog in every way of the word,” said Shawnee coach Brooke Hutchins. “She steps up when the competition puts the heat on and rises to the occasion. There aren’t many teams in the WBL that have that tough of a sixth rotation player.”
Shawnee carried over their momentum into the second set and sustained the lead through the first 45 points of the set. The Indians led by as many seven (18-11) before Ottawa-Glandorf turned on the jets.
Ottawa-Glandorf took the final five points of the set to even the match. A large part of their late rally was the duo of Kennedy Fuka, and Kayla Bellman. Bellman dominated at the net while Fuka found herself making big plays in an unknown role.
“We couldn’t serve receive in the early part of the set, and I just had a feeling that Kennedy (Fuka) was ready to go and when she got in tonight, she took care of business,” Hauenstein said.
The third set saw the Titans maintain control and build a lead as big as nine before the momentum switched once again. Sydney Burris rattled off six consecutive service points for the Indians to bring them within three at 21-18.
Shawnee rallied back to make the score 24-23 before ultimately dropping the set.
“I feel most pleased that our girls fought hard tonight and never gave up. Our deficits tonight were first ball of contact and serve reception,” Brooke Hutchins said. “I think set two was pivotal because quite honestly if we would have gotten set two, I think we could have very well swept them. Kudos to them, but I think we self-destructed a lot in the back court.”
Ottawa-Glandorf never looked back and became adamant on avenging their loss last year to Shawnee that snapped a 17-match winning streak in the series for the Titans.
Hauenstein’s crew built an advantage of 9-1 in the fourth set and never blinked en route to their 25-18 WBL clinching set victory.
Set One; Shawnee 25-21
Set Two; Ottawa-Glandorf 25-23
Set Three; Ottawa-Glandorf 25-23
Set Four; Ottawa-Glandorf 25-18
