ARCANUM – The Newton Lady Indians fell 3-1 to the Fairlawn Lady Jets in the opening round of the OHSAA volleyball tournament, but the effort and growth shown by the young Newton squad left plenty for head coach Danita Rapp to celebrate.
“We talked in the locker room about coming out holding our heads high because we have accomplished so much this year,” Rapp said after the match. “I only had three returning varsity players out of 11 this year. When you have eight first-year players, a lot of sophomores, it was a big growing season for us.”
Fairlawn jumped to an early 10-5 lead in the opening set before Newton rallied to tie things at 16-16. The Lady Jets responded with a 9-2 run to close the set 25-18 and take a 1-0 advantage.
Newton came out strong in Set 2, leading 17-12 before Fairlawn battled back to tie it 19-19. The Lady Indians regrouped, scoring three unanswered points en route to a 25-20 win to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with Newton holding an early 6-2 edge and later a 16-15 lead. But Fairlawn surged with six straight points to take control and claim a 25-19 win for a 2-1 match lead.
Newton led 16-13 in the fourth set before Fairlawn fought back to go ahead 19-17. The teams traded points to 21-21, but the Lady Jets closed it out 25-22 to win the match and advance in tournament play.
“My girls gave everything they had tonight,” Rapp said. “Losing is never what you want to end on, but they played their hearts out with tenacity. We’re leaving with some pretty big goals for the future, and I’m expecting big things from them.”
The match marked the final appearance for three Newton seniors — No. 5 Estie Rapp, No. 7 Aubrey Stetzel, and No. 18 Candace Shellenberger — each praised by their coach for leadership and heart.
“Estie Rapp did a great job leading,” said Rapp. “We relied heavily on her for offense. She worked to develop a complete attack and kept her composure no matter the situation.”
“Aubrey Stetzel, our setter, did a phenomenal job running the offense and encouraging her teammates. She hustled every play and became a consistent server and leader.”
“Candace Shellenberger was a quiet but steady leader as our serving specialist,” Rapp added. “She gave her role everything she had and brought valuable support to our team.”
“I have all the confidence that they’re going to make a big impact in their community,” Rapp concluded. “All three are involved in so much beyond volleyball — always giving, always participating — and that’s pretty special.”
