When the two teams met in Tipp City, the Lady Arrows lost to the Lady Red Devils 3-1, but showed marked improvement and made a statement that the 2009 season will be improved for the Lady Arrows.

“The girls were excited for this match tonight against Tipp,” said Tecumseh coach Michelle Smith.  “They feel they have something to pro ve, and that they are not the same Tecumseh of the past.”

They came out in the first game, and watched as Tipp jumped in front 7-3.  Following a serve into the net by Tipp, the Lady Arrows closed the gap.

Consecutive points from Sarah Flory and a kill by freshman Bianca Quisenberry brought Tecumseh back to within one before they lost the advantage.

Tecumseh kept it close until Tipp started to pull away at 16-11.  From there, it was all Tecumseh the rest of the game.

A block at the net started a 4-1 run , including points from Chelsey Davis and Elizabeth Engle.  A pair of Tipp points made it 19-15 before the Lady Arrows took command.

Four consecutive points, led by service points from Flory and a game-tying kill by Megan Christmann evened the game at 19.

The game was tied two more times, before Tecumseh closed out on a 4-1 run to stun the crowd with a 25-21 victory.

“The girls came out strong and didn’t think about the fact it was Tipp City,” Smith said.  “We were clicking early, and they played together as a group.  We had some nice momentum.”

Tipp controlled game two, leading 11-4 early and 18-7 later in the game.  To that point, Tecumseh did not put together consecutive points in the game.

Davis scored twice, and Christmann had a kill to make it 18-10, but the Lady Arrows could not get it any closer than seven the rest of the way.

After the 25-15 win, the Lady Red Devils were gaining the momentum.  They jumped in front 13-3 in game three, and put together six straight points before Tecumseh scored during one stretch.  At one point, Christmann scored three consecutive points to close the gap to 16-10, and when Rachel Moyer scored it got as close as 17-12, but Tipp went on an 8-2 run to close the game.

Game four was never close, as Tipp led 5-0 quickly, and 15-6 midway through the match.  The Lady Arrows struggled to get anything going, and fell in the final game 25-9.

“There is huge potential with these kids, but they need to be consistent,” Smith said.  “They have good talent, and the younger kids are learning.”  In addition to the experience back, a pair of freshman (Quisenberry and Christmann) are starters for the Lady Arrows.

“They have worked hard, and have been at the open gyms,” Smith said.  “We have some nice older kids back, and the freshman are a nice addition.”