By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek volleyball team remained unbeaten in Red Rock Conference play with a 3-0 win in Adrian Thursday.The Patriots had to battle hard to fight off challenges offered by a pesky Adrian squad in the final two games, but H-BC was up to the task and completed the sweep while outscoring the Dragons 79-63 in the match.The win upped H-BC’s conference record to 4-0. Adrian fell to 0-4 in league play.H-BC started the match in style taking a 7-2 lead in Game 1 after Melinda Sandstede served an ace.The Dragons battled back to trail 7-5 after Kylie Heronimus turned a tip into a point, but the Patriots countered with a 7-1 surge capped by an ace serve from Amber Olson to open a 14-6 lead.H-BC led 19-11 before putting together a 6-1 run capped by a tip from Sandstede to clinch a 25-13 victory.There was nothing easy about H-BC’s wins in Games 2 and 3.H-BC led by five points (10-5) early in the second game and sported a six-point cushion (19-13) after Erin Boeve recorded a block at the net as the game progressed.The Patriots still led by six (21-15) when Adrian mounted an 8-1 run capped by an ace serve from Brittany Bullerman to give the hosts a 23-22 lead.The score was tied at 24 before Boeve gave the Patriots a 26-24 win with a kill and an ace tip.Cassi Tilstra served a four-point run to give the Patriots a 5-1 cushion early in Game 3, but the Dragons countered with a 10-4 surge capped by a kill from Heronimus to give AHS an 11-9 advantage.The Dragons led by three points (16-13) after Andrea Henning served a three-point run, and the hosts sported a 20-18 cushion before H-BC rallied to tie the game at 21 before Brittney Rozeboom served a pair of points to put the Patriots in front 23-21.Adrian regained the lead at 24-23 after Andrea Lonneman served a point, and the hosts sported a 25-24 edge after an ace tip off the fingers of Ashley Cox.H-BC, however, tied the game at 26 before posting a 28-26 win with two service points from Boeve.Boeve, who completed all nine of her serves in the match, had 19 kills and five blocks for the winners. Kelly Mulder added five blocks and four kills to the cause, while Tilstra chipped in five kills. Tilstra (14 of 14), Rozeboom (12 of 13) and Olson (16 of 16 with three aces) served well for H-BC.Heronimus led Adrian with 11 kills and three blocks. Bullerman and Lonneman registered eight and six kills respectively. Katie Bertrand charted 10 set assists.
