Volleyball Recap: New Athens Comes Up Short

After a string of three wins, New Athens's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They fell just short of the Sparta Bulldogs by a score of 2-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Yellow Jackets of the 2-0 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in October of 2024.

In a back-and-forth that saw neither team win consecutive sets, New Athens sadly dropped the once that decided the match. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-12, 21-25, 25-23.

Ally Barr

Assists

09/22/25 @ Sparta	19
09/18/25 @ Lebanon	13
09/11/25 @ Dupo	14
09/09/25 @ Valmeyer	15
09/02/25 vs Steeleville	14

Despite the defeat, New Athens saw an underclassman step up: freshman Ally Barr had ten digs and two aces. Barr has been hot, having also posted 13 or more assists the last five times she's played.

The loss was their first on the road , dropping their record down to 4-7. As for Sparta, they moved to 4-8 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.

Coming up, New Athens will challenge Marissa/Coulterville at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Sparta, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 2-1 defeat against Elverado on the 23rd.