The Tallmadge Blue Devils will head out on the road to challenge the Stow-Munroe Falls Bulldogs at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tallmadge is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
On Thursday, Tallmadge came up short against Aurora and fell 3-1.
Tallmadge started the match hot and won the first set, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last three. The match finished with set scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-10, 25-17.
Meanwhile, Stow-Munroe Falls also suffered a loss in their last game, falling to North Royalton by a score of 3-1. The defeat continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their meetings with the Bears: they've now lost three in a row.
While Stow-Munroe Falls ultimately came up short, they really made North Royalton work, particularly in the first set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 26-24, 24-26, 25-19, 25-23.
Tallmadge will have to keep a close watch on Carrie Winkler and Zoey Mccullough, a pair of players who had a big impact on Stow-Munroe Falls' prior game. Winkler had 19 assists and four digs, while Mccullough had 26 digs and six assists. Mccullough is on a roll when it comes to digs, as she's now had ten or more in each of the last five games she's played.
Stow-Munroe Falls' loss dropped their record down to 8-10. As for Tallmadge, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-11.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's match: Tallmadge has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 7.9 aces per game. However, it's not like Stow-Munroe Falls struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Tallmadge couldn't quite get it done against Stow-Munroe Falls when the teams last played back in August of 2024 as they fell 2-0. Can the Blue Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
