HOLTON – In the end, the team with the big girls who hit the ball hard beat the team with the softer shots that find the open spots on the court.

But the Holton volleyball team, which lost a 3-2 marathon match to Ravenna on Wednesday, demonstrated that it can compete just fine with any power-hitting team on its schedule.

On a muggy night in the hot Holton gym, the Red Devils jumped out to a two-set lead then lost the last three sets, including a very close fourth set that could have put the win in Holton’s column.

The match pitted two teams with very different strengths.

Ravenna features three pretty tall players who pound the ball and pile up the kills – Ellerie Moy, Addison Gillard and Isabella Emery.

Holton has no big girls who hit particularly hard, but the Red Devils make up for it with offensive finesse.

The Red Devils find ways to make their softer shots land where their opponents are not, and those points count just as much as the blasted balls from the power players.

Holton Coach Austin Bectel is proud of the way his girls have developed an offensive attack that works for them.

“We do kind of take pride on finding the holes on the court,” said Bectel, whose team is now 10-12 overall on the season and 0-1 in West Michigan Conference Lakes Division play. “Just having one kid find that spot on the court, and that opens up avenues for the other girls.”

Bectel said a good example is Abby Fowler, who led Holton in the match with 12 kills, most of them the softer, well-placed type.

“I just keep telling her, when you see a spot you’ve got to go for it,” the coach said.

Holton definitely looked like the better team in the first two sets, particularly after rallying for a victory in the opener.

The score was tied six different times in the first set, Ravenna grabbed an 18-16 lead, then Holton scored nine of the last 10 points to take the 25-19 win.

Holton jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the second set and cruised from there, winning 25-18 and taking a 2-0 lead.

The Red Devils only needed one more win to make it a short and successful night, but things didn’t work out.

Ravenna regrouped after its early losses, jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the third set and won 25-14.

The fourth set was the true test for both teams, and Ravenna was just a little bit better.

The score was tied six different times. Ravenna had an early 4-1 lead, then Holton rallied and built an 14-11 lead.

Ravenna bounced ahead 19-16, the Red Devils fought back to within one point at 21-20, but the Bulldogs were bit stronger down the stretch and held on for a 25-23 win.

Holton appeared to be in really good shape early in the tiebreaker, winning four of the first five points, but then Ravenna turned to its power game, with its big girls collecting numerous kills en route to a match-clinching 15-9 victory.

Ryann Robbins finished with nine kills and three blocks for Holton while Aubrey Goyings had eight kills.

Fowler set up the offense with 26 assists and led the defense with nine digs. Zoey Carty added eight digs for the Red Devils.

“They kind of did take over with their size in the end,” Bectel said about Ravenna. “It’s hard to beat a six-foot lineup. I think their numbers also beat us. I have 10 girls and they had like 15 or 16.

“We just have to dig a little deeper and do a little bit better the next time.”