By THOMAS HERRIN

cnsports@crescent-news.com

LIBERTY CENTER -- Division II volleyball sectional tournament action exploded in a flurry Saturday as No. 1 seed Ottawa-Glandorf took on Bryan, while No. 2 seed Wauseon faced the Lady Bulldogs of Defiance.

The Titans defeated Bryan in three straight sets 25-10, 25-13, 25-20 to capture a sectional title, before Defiance dispatched of Wauseon in five grueling sets 25-16, 25-19, 20-25, 14-25, 15-10 to earn its sectional crown.

Defiance and O-G will now meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the district semifinals at Liberty Center.

In the nightcap, the Bulldogs came out strong in the first set, jumping out to a quick lead behind Danielle Tumblin's killing frenzy, and Renee Riedel locking down the net.

"Danielle can break the block almost every time," said Defiance mentor Brooke Buti. "She's one of our great hitters off of the net and she can place the ball very well."

Brandi Wagner and Kiersten Lehman took command of the ball in the second set for Defiance, blistering it into every hole they could find, while Riedel's defensive play continued to stump the Wauseon offense.

Defiance claimed a 25-19 win to go up two sets to none, setting up the possibility of a quick win.

"Once Brandi gets the ball in front of her, it's like lights out," laughed Buti. "She's definitely one of our go-to people. Kiersten Lehman is the same way, she can see the other side of the court really well and just seems to be able to place the ball where ever she wants."

"Renee is our libero," Buti added. "She's very competitive and hard working. As far as she is concerned, that ball is not going down no matter what."

A quick three set loss was the last thing on the minds of the Indians, however.

With their backs to the wall, Wauseon regrouped and went back to the type of play they knew best ... hard and deadly.

Senior Kara Hammons took charge, giving her reeling defense a chance to collect itself and lock down the net.

However, the defense did not need that much help as Hammons launched a barrage of pin-point shots to carry Wauseon to a 25-19 win and get her team back into the match.

"Kara probably had her best match of the year," commented Wauseon head coach Beth Holman. "She's not a full rotation player yet, the third game was the first time she started as a full-rotation player. She did a great job, she really managed to step it up."

The Lady Indians took to the court for the fourth match with renewed confidence and determination, and continued to take the fight to Defiance. The Lady Indians went on to claim the fourth set 25-14, leaving everyone wondering, if the Lady Indians could pull off the comeback.

"Ryenn has a lot of poise on the court," said Holman. "She just works hard and is a great passer for us. She's just a sophomore, so we will see great things to come from her for a long time to come."

The fifth and final set featured a dramatic defensive battle, with Defiance's Riedel and Wauseon's Rice seeming to be in every location on the court at the same time. In the end, the serving strength of Tumblin helped the Lady Bulldogs carve out a lead before Brandi Wagner slammed the door shut with a blazing kill, capturing a 15-10 victory and the sectional title.

"It seemed once our setters could get the ball and give it to our offense everything was fine, but there for a while we didn't have our offense running very well," said Buti. "We kept making mistakes on our side of the net, and Wauseon is a team who won't give you many mistakes. They are very quick to capitalize on anything you give them."

"We are not a team that gives up," added Holman. "We get a little tentative sometimes though. I think that's what happened today. We did not attack the ball as hard as we could have at times. I think serve receiving was what probably lost the match for us. We broke a little in the first two games, and I think we got a little defensive in the last game."

At Liberty Center

Ottawa-Glandorf def. Bryan, 25-10, 25-13, 25-20

Ottawa-Glandorf (16-7) - Andrea Ellerbrock 4 aces, 2 blocks; Hannah Kaufman 3 aces; Kori Bruns 14 kills, 10 digs; Brooke Kaufman 9 kills; Jenna Ellerbrock 19 assists, 6 digs; Mara Jacobs 9 assists.

Bryan (8-16) - Brigitte Kuszmaul 6-6 serving, 6 kills, 5 digs; Megan Keeler 9-9 serving, 7 digs; Emillee Snavely 9-9 serving, 5 aces, 8 digs; Andi Yahraus 8 assists.

Defiance def. Wauseon, 25-16, 25-19, 20-25, 14-25, 15-10

Defiance (13-10) - No stats.

Wauseon (12-10) - No stats.