Volleyball Recap: Dynamic Duo of Samantha Merrill and Aubrey Schnitz Lead Umatilla to Victory

Umatilla won the last time they faced Leesburg and things went their way on Thursday too. The Bulldogs blew past the Yellow Jackets 3-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.

Umatilla not only won, but also showed off some consistency: they kept Leesburg between 13 and 16 points across their sets. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-13, 25-16, 25-16.

Samantha Merrill

Digs

08/21/25 vs Leesburg	18
08/19/25 vs Taylor	5
10/01/24 @ Taylor	8
09/24/24 @ Eustis	2
09/23/24 vs South Lake	1
+ 5 more games

Leading Umatilla to victory were Aubrey Schnitz and Samantha Merrill. Schnitz had 21 digs, while Merrill had 18 digs. That's the most digs Merrill has posted since back in September of 2024.

Umatilla was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 16 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least nine aces in three consecutive contests.

Umatilla's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Leesburg, they are on a four-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-3.

Umatilla wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 3-2 win against Tavares on the 25th. As for Leesburg, they have also already played their next game, a 3-0 victory against Wildwood on the 26th.