The Ionia 8th Grade Volleyball teams took on the Charlotte Orioles tonight at their first home game of the season. Ionia started off the first set with strong serves and some aggressive play at the net. Elle Lepley nailed 4 aces and an additional service point right away and McKenna O'Connor and Aizlin Barna each added a kill. Ryley Helmes added an additional 3 service points to the total but despite their efforts, the Bulldogs couldn't quite snag the victory falling to Charlotte 16-25. Eager to get back out on the court, the Lady Dawgs regrouped and had better communication in the second set. Melanie White and Skye Currigan joined the group of strong servers and put up two solid aces each. Courtney Thomas had some nice serve receive passes and Brielle Nummer played smart in the front row, getting the job done. The Bulldogs defeated the Orioles in set two 25-20. Knowing that they only had 15 points to go for the final set, Ionia was ready to ensure the victory. Tough serving from Jordyn Ciganick and great passes on serve receive paved the way for a final set win and the B Team Dawgs defeated the Orioles 17-15. The B Team Ladies worked very hard tonight and earned their win!

The Ionia B Team is 1-2 so far this season. Please join us on Tuesday as the Bulldogs take on Saints Peter and Paul at their gymnasium. Let's Go Bulldogs!