Bellevue wins first two sets, but falls to O-G

MILLER CITY — Bellevue won the first two sets in its first district volleyball final since 2019. The Lady Red came up short, though, after Ottawa-Glandorf rallied to win in five sets in a matchup of Division IV No. 1 seeds Thursday night. In the fifth set, Bellevue tied it at 11 apiece on a Finley LaPata kill. Two kills from Ella White broke that tie and put the Titans up 13-11. LaPata got the last point of the match for Bellevue on a block at the net to cut O-G's lead to 13-12. However, it wasn't meant to be as a block from Grace Kahle and a kill from Allison Kuhlman sealed the match and a trip to the regionals for O-G. The Titans turned back Bellevue 19-25, 20-25, 25-12, 25-18, 15-12 at New Cleveland's J. Harry Leopold Gymnasium. "We knew it was going to be a battle and that's what a district championship is supposed to be," Bellevue coach Liana Petitti said. "It's stings that we were up two sets to none and then we lost it, but I couldn't be more proud of my team. They gave it everything they had." In the fifth set, Bellevue (19-6) and O-G (21-3) tied the set five times. Bellevue didn't lead in the set, but LaPata had three kills that tied it at 2-2, 4-4 and 11-11. In Set 1, the...