Botkins is 0-10 against Russia since October of 2019 but things could change on Thursday. The Botkins Trojans and the Russia Raiders are set to duel.
Botkins is headed into Thursday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Tuesday. They came up short against Jackson Center, falling 3-0.
While Botkins was kept off the board, it wasn't for a lack of trying: they cut into Jackson Center's winning margin in every set. The match finished with set scores of 25-12, 25-18, 25-19.
Despite the loss, Botkins saw an underclassman step up: Madison Loy had 19 digs. Loy is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had 11 or more in the last four games she's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Russia, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They blew past Houston 3-0 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Raiders have posted since September 10th.
While Russia might've won, it sure wasn't easy: Houston scored at least 16 points in every set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-14, 25-12, 25-16.
Russia can attribute much of their success to Kourtney Phlipot, who had ten digs.
Russia was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 12 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least six aces in three consecutive matches.
Botkins' defeat dropped their record down to 8-11. As for Russia, their record now sits at 8-11.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's contest: Botkins has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 8.5 aces per game. However, it's not like Russia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Botkins might still be hurting after the 3-0 loss they got from Russia in their previous meeting back in September. Can Botkins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
