The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker to the Idalou Lady Cats on Saturday, 2-3.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 16-12 overall, 2-5 in district play.
The Littlefield Lady Cats fell behind early on Saturday, dropping set one, 23-25, and set two, 19-25, but they would not lay down.
In set three, Taryn Golden dropped in a tip for a kill to open things up, but on the next play, Myli Hernandez was called for being across the net, tying the set 1-1. Golden delivered a kill off of an Idalou block attempt and on the next play, a dig by Madi Brown was tipped over the net by Hernandez and Giovanna Payan couldn’t get there for the dig, making the score, 3-1.
Bryndle Ray had her serve land just over the back boundary line, but Campbell Ross was called for a double hit on the next play, pushing the lead to, 4-2. Littlefield couldn’t capitalize, as Maggie McNeese sent a serve short of the net, but on the following play, a tip from Amiah Elizondo went off of the block attempt by Sarah Pirtle for a kill, stretching the lead to, 5-3.
Each team sent a serve short of the net, and Julie Bownds followed it up with an ace off of Pirtle, making the score, 7-4.Adump by Cali Saldana fell in for a kill as Idalou couldn’t dig it out and on the next play, a long dig by Bownds was mistimed on a swing by Pirtle, falling in for a Littlefield point, extending the lead to, 9-4, as Idalou took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Littlefield kept it going with a kill from Elizondo off of the block attempt from Pirtle, making the score, 10-4. Bownds sent a serve short of the net, but a save by Saldana on the next play led to a hit out of bounds by Idalou, making the score, 11-5. Idalou would rattle off three consecutive points to trim the lead to, 118, as Littlefield called a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Paige Harder sent a hit into the net, and Kennadi Hanlin’s serve on the following play went unreturned, making the score, 13-8. Karsyn Lutrick sent a hit out of bounds on the sideline for Idalou and they were called for four hits on the following sequence, stretching the Littlefield lead to 15-8.
Harder had a kill attempt blocked by Hernandez and McNeese for a kill, but she responded with a kill off of Hernandez and McNeese on the next play, trimming the lead to, 16-9. McNeese blocked Harder for a kill and Ray followed it up with an ace off of Payan to push their lead to, 18-9, as Littlefield took a time out.
Out of the break, Idalou sent a hit into the foul Pole and on the next play, Heidi Gentry dropped a tip into the net, making the score, 20-9. Harder had a tip fall for a point that led to a threepoint Idalou rally, but it ended when a save by Ray led to a hit into the net by Harder, making the score, 21-12.
Harder sent a hit out of bounds on the sideline, but Idalou responded with a dump for a kill to trim the lead to, 2313. Bownds sent a kill off of Harder, but a tip sailed into the net from Elizondo on the next play, making the score, 23-14. Ray was called for a double hit on a set, but Hanlin delivered a kill off of the block attempt from Lutrick and Ross was called for a double hit to end the set, 25-15, with Littlefield regaining some life in the match.
In set four, Addison Mathews sent a kill sailing out of bounds to open set four, and a tip by Hernandez on the next play was dug out by Mathews before it fell in for a Littlefield kill, making the score, 2-0. Idalou scored backto- back points to tie the set, 2-2, and Gentry was blocked by Golden for a kill to make the score, 3-2.
Lutrick sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but Idalou would answer, as Lutrick dropped a kill in front of Ray to make the score, 4-3. The teams exchanged points, and a hit by Bownds was hit out of bounds by Payan. Annabell Phillips sent a hit short of the net, but the Littlefield rally ended when a kill by Bownds sailed out of bounds to make the score, 7-5.
Idalou couldn’t capitalize, as they were called for four hits after a hit by Harder didn’t make it over the net. Saldana sent a hit sailing out of bounds for Littlefield, but on the next play, a hit by Hanlin was hit out of bounds by Payan, making the score, 9-6.
Bri Valdez sent a hit out of bounds for Littlefield, but a hit by Hanlin was hit out of bounds by Payan, and on the next play, a long dig from Idalou was killed by Golden, as Idalou tipped it out of bounds, making the score, 11-7. Idalou would rally back to tie the set, 12-12, on a hit out of bounds by Bownds, but it was short-lived, as Bownds sent a kill off of Lutrick to reclaim the lead for Littlefield.
The teams went back-and-forth for several points, until a hit a kill from Harder fell in front of Brown, sparking a five-point Idalou rally giving them a, 15-18, lead. Elizondo dropped a kill in front of Ross and Littlefield scored again on the next play, making the score, 17-18. Mathews dropped a kill in the center of the court and Payan tipped the net for an ace, forcing Littlefield to take a time out, trailing Idalou, 17-20.
Out of the break, Lutrick dropped a kill on the sideline for Idalou and Mathews followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt from Hanlin, making the score, 17-22. Mathews had a hit land out of bounds to trim the lead to, 18-22, and Golden delivered a kill at the net to cut it to, 19-22. Idalou took a time out to talk things over, and out of the break, Mathews dropped a kill in front of Alyssa Torres to make the score, 19-23. Torres was called for a double hit on the next play, but a bad set by on the following play by Pirtle was hit out of bounds by Gentry, making the score, 20-24.
Hanlin dropped in an ace for Littlefield and McNeese won a tip battle at the net with Lutrick to cut the lead to, 22-24. Idalou took a time out and out of the break, Mathews sent a hit into the net to make it a one-point game, 23-24. Hernandez tipped the net with a hit for a kill and on the next play, Mathews sent a hit out of bounds on the sideline to make the score, 25-24. A tip by Hernandez on the next play was hit out of bounds by Idalou, as Littlefield tied the match with a, 26-24, victory in set four.
Littlefield jumped out to a, 4-2, lead in set five, before Idalou would come all the way back to take the lead, 4-5, on an ace from Ross. Hernandez tied the set with a kill that was hit out of bounds by Payan, but Phillips answered with a tip for a kill to make the score, 5-6.
Elizondo dropped a tip in front of Payan to tie the set, 6-6, and the backand- forth continued until a hit out of bounds by McNeese allowed Idalou to score back-to-back points forcing Littlefield to use a time out. Out of the break, Pirtle’s serve sailed out of bounds, but Mathews answered with a kill off of Valdez to make the score, 810.
A hit by Golden was tipped at the net before falling in for a kill and Lutrick was blocked by Hernandez for a kill on the next play to tie the set, 10-10. The teams exchanged points and Hernandez followed it up with a kill to put Littlefield in front, 12-11. A tip by Hernandez was partially blocked by Phillips before rolling on the net and falling in for a Littlefield kill to make the score, 13-11.
Idalou took a time out and out of the break, Brown’s serve was returned out of bounds by Payan, however, Hernandez was called for a double hit and Bownds was blocked by Phillips, and the second-chance try was hit out of bounds by Bownds, making the score, 14-13. Harder sent a kill past Hanlin to tie the set, as Littlefield took a time out and out of the break, Ross served up an ace to put Idalou in front, 14-15.
Littlefield sent a kill past Payan to tie the set, 15-15, and after some backand- forth, Pirtle delivered a kill off of Elizondo and she followed it up with an ace in front of Brown to win the tiebreaker set, 18-20. The Lady Cats were at Tulia on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Saturday at home against Childress.
First set is scheduled for 12 p.m.