Good beginning

ST. MARYS - A different face patrolled the sideline for the Fort Recovery volleyball team Tuesday night.

The winning outcome was very similar to past seasons.

Fort Recovery opened its 2020 campaign with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-17 sweep of St. Marys at Murotech Court to give Travis Guggenbiller his first win as head coach of the program.

"It's good to have our first win under our belt. I think that's the big thing. Our kids were ready to play," Guggenbiller said. "We were very rusty, so we've got some improvement to do. St. Marys did a nice job of keeping us on our toes today. I thought we did a nice job with some of those new girls stepping in, some of the different leadership roles that are taking place. I was happy with our overall effort."

The Roughriders, led by Celina alum Caley Yoder, fell to 0-2 on the season. Both of their losses have come against Midwest Athletic Conference opposition.

"Our main focus is just cutting those ups and downs," said Yoder, whose team lost its opener to New Knoxville. "We want to play consistently. We want to play aggressively. I thought our offense looked really well. I don't want to say that Fort Recovery outplayed us, but I think we just need to cut down on those runs, you know, sometimes we get into a hole on serve receive or make mental mistakes that we shouldn't be making."

Fort's Paige Fortkamp spiked home a couple of kills early in set one, with Kierra Wendel and Emma Kahlig adding aces as the Indians raced out to a 10-5 lead. Fortkamp finished the opener with five kills, and her team led by as many as 10 before ending with a 25-19 victory.

The Roughriders scored the first four points of set two, thanks to an Indian hitting error and kills by Claire Bertke, Addison Lauth and Halle Huston. But it wasn't long after that the Indians took their second 10-5 lead of the contest. Whitley Rammel halted St. Marys' run with a spike. Fort leveled the score at 5-apiece on a Fortkamp kill, then Kierra Wendel went behind the line and scored a pair of aces as part of her five-point service run. Hope Wendel later tacked on two aces and Fort Recovery stayed on the attack to earn a 25-15 win.

Rammel and Fortkamp racked up the kills for the Indians early in set three. Bertke did the same for St. Marys. The set featured seven ties and three lead changes before Fort finally created some space with a 6-0 run and went on to claim a 25-17 victory.

"Our seniors did a really nice job of leading us today," Guggenbiller said. "Fortkamp did a really nice job of finding the holes on the court. I thought our setter Hope Wendel did a nice job of mixing up the sets and trying to find those open hitters, and (Kierra Wendel) did a nice job defensively and serving. I thought all three of those girls stepped up on the service line and put the ball away when we needed it."

Fortkamp had 10 kills to lead the Indians. Whitley Rammel finished with eight kills. Kierra Wendel had four aces and Hope Wendel dished out 19 assists.

Leah Walter and Bertke each had four kills for St Marys. Lily Rammel added nine assists.

Fort Recovery returns to action next Tuesday as Hoosier State rival Jay County heads east to Fort Site Fieldhouse. St. Marys begins Western Buckeye League play on Thursday at Auglaize County rival Wapakoneta.