The Olton Fillies’ varsity volleyball team swept the Highland Park Lady Hornets on Saturday at Tulia High School to capture their first Bi-district volleyball championship in 16 years.
In set one, Llama Ramirez delivered a kill inside the back boundary line to get the Fillies on the board and Taryn Smith followed it up with an ace to extend their lead to, 2-0. Jade Flores answered with a kill in the back corner for the Lady Hornets, but Highland Park could not capitalize on the play, as Constence Cowden had a kill land out of bounds on the sideline, making the score, 3-1.
Kambri Ruiz served up ana ce off of Joeli Neusch, but Flores again answered with a kill past Ruiz, trimming the lead to, 4-2. Denisse Alvarado sent a kill into the net for Olton, but the next serve from Haley Rogers fell short of the net, making the score, 5-3.
Kaitlyn Avalos had a serve fall short of the net for Olton and the Fillies were out of position on the next serve from Aliyah Robinson, as the Lady Hornets tied the set, 5-5. Zayda Gonzales delivered a kill off of Neusch to regain the serve for Olton, but Constence Cowden answered with a kill for the Lady Hornets to keep the set tied, 6-6.
Highland Park was called for four hits, after a hit from Kendall Saylor didn’t make it over the net, but on the next play, Smith was blocked by Alexis Perez for a kill, keeping the set knotted, 7-7. Smith responded with a kill in the back corner for the Fillies, but the next serve from Alyssa Rivera fell short of the net making the score, 8-8.
Neither team could take advantage, as Alyssa Espinoza stepped over the serve line for Highland Park. Flores responded with a kill on the sideline for the Lady Hornets, but a kill attempt on the next play by Constence Cowden landed out of bounds, putting Olton back in front, 10-9. Alvarado sent a hit short of the net for the Fillies, and Highland Park scored on the next play to take a one-point lead, 10-11.
Barbara Gallegos would answer with a kill off of the block attempt by Robinson to tie the set, and on the next play, a hit from Robinson fell short of the net, putting Olton back in front, 12-11. Constence Cowden sent a hit into the net for Highland Park andAvalos followed it up with an ace off of Neusch to stretch their lead to, 14-11. Perez dropped a tip off of Gonzales for a point, but the next serve from Robinson fell short of the net, stretching the Olton lead to, 15-12.
Allison Rivera served up an ace off of Alyxia Fry and Constence Cowden had a tip land out of bounds on the sideline on the next play, pushing the lead to, 17-12. Smith delivered a kill off of Fry, as Highland Park called a time out to talk things over, trailing, 18-12. Out of the break, Constence Cowden sent a kill attempt sailing out of bounds, but Olton couldn’t keep the rally going, as Smith had a kill land out of bounds on the sideline, trimming the lead to, 19-13.
Gonzales answered with a kill for the Fillies and Smith dropped a tip off of Rogers for a kill, as Highland Park took another time out to talk things over, trailing, 21-13. Out of the break, a serve from HalleKate Huguley was returned out of bounds by Cadence Cowden to make the score, 22-13. Huguley’s next serve was hit into the net by Highland Park on the return and on the following play, Cadence Cowden was blocked by Gonzales and the cover was hit out of bounds by Rogers, pushing the lead to, 24-13.
Olton would get called for four hits, but Smith would close out set one with a kill off of Fry to give the Fillies set one, 2514.
In set two, Highland Park jumped out to an, 0-4, lead before Robinson sent a hit into the net to make the score, 1-4. Flores dropped a kill in the middle of the court, before sending a kill on the next play into the net to trim the lead to, 2-5. Alvarado followed it up with a kill off of Espinoza, but Ruiz’s next serve sailed out of bounds, pushing the lead to, 36.
Ruiz would set Alvarado up for a kill past Neusch on the next play andAvalos followed it up with back-to-back aces to tie the set, 6-6. Highland Park would score a kill off of a long dig by Avalos to end the Olton rally, butAlvarado would fire right back with a kill past Neusch to keep the set tied, 77.
Highland Park would score again, this time off of a long dig by Ruiz and Gallegos sent a hit into the net on the next play, making the score, 7-9, but the Fillies would not go away. Smith responded with a kill off of Neusch and on the next play, Saylor sent a hit into the net to tie the set, 9-9. A save from Neusch fell short of the net, but a block by Perez on the next play was hit into the net by Gonzales, tying the set, 10-10.
Fry was blocked by Gonzales for a kill and Flores sent a hit into the net, before dropped a kill inside the back boundary line on the next play to make the score, 12-11. Flores, though, would be called for a double-hit, as Olton regained the serve with the score, 13-11. Alvarado delivered a block for a kill, as Highland Park took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Cadence Cowden was blocked by Ramirez and Alvarado and the cover hit by Fores landed out of bounds on the sideline, stretching the lead to, 15-11.
Alvarado tipped a ball into the net, but the Lady Hornets could not capitalize, as Robinson also sent a hit into the net, making the score, 16-12. A serve from Ruiz fell short of the net for Olton, and Rogers tipped the net for an ace on the next play to cut the lead to, 1614. Rogers’ next serve fell short of the net and Alvarado followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Aubrey Drerup, pushing the lead to, 1814.
Alvarado would sent a kill attempt sailing out of bounds, but Ruiz answered with a dump on the next play, and Rogers was called for a double hit, pushing the lead to, 19-15. Allison Rivera served up an ace off of Saylor, as the Lady Hornets took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Saylor was called for being on the net and Allison Rivera followed it up with another ace to push their lead to, 22-15. Fry dropped a tip off of Allison Rivera and the ball was hit out of bounds by Avalos to end the rally, but Gonzales fired right back with a kil on the sideline to make the score, 23-16.
Cadence Cowden delivered a kill off of Smith, but the next serve from J’Niyah Hearn sailed out of bounds making the score, 24-17. Highland Park would go on a five-point rally, before Flores delivered a kill out of bounds on the sideline, as Olton took set two, 25-22, putting them up 2-0 in the match.
Flores opened set three with a kill off of Ramirez’s block attempt, but Ramirez would answer with a tip that was hit into the net by Flores, tying the set, 1-1. Ruiz followed it up with an ace off of Neusch and Ramirez kept it going with a kill off of Espinoza, making the score, 3-1. Highland Park would rally back and tie the set, 4-4, after a ball was hit out of bounds by Ruiz.
Olton would be called for four hits after a hit byAlvarado didn’t make it over the net, sparking a three-point rally for the Lady Hornets that ended when, Neusch was called for a lift, making the score, 5-7. Constence Cowden sent a hit short of the net for the Lady Hornets and Smith followed it up with a kill off of Fry to tie the set, 7-7. Highland Park would go on another three-point rally, that ended when Cadence Cowden sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 8-10.
Back-to-back miscues by Olton stretched the lead to, 812, but the Lady Hornets couldn’t capitalize, as Flores sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 9-13. Back-toback misfires by Ramirez extended the lead to, 9-15, as the Fillies took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Espinoza stepped over the serve line and on the following play, Neusch sent a hit short of the net, trimming the lead to, 11-15.
Alvarado delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Flores and Cadence Cowden and Hearn tipped a ball into the net on the next play for Highland Park, cutting the lead to, 13-15, as the Lady Hornets took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Robinson dropped in a tip off of the dig attempt by Kaybree Ramon, stretching the lead back out to, 13-16.
After a kill attempt landed out of bounds from Alvarado, Ruiz answered with a kill in the middle of Highland Park’s defense andAlvarado followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Robinson and Flores, cutting the lead to, 1517. A kill from Alvarado was tipped at the net on a block attempt by Constence Cowden, but Gallegos sent a hit into the net on the next play to end the rally, making the score, 16-18.
Robinson would get called for a double hit, but the Lady Hornets would get a hit to fall on the sideline for a kill, pushing the score to, 17-19. Alvarado delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Perez and Constence Cowden to make it a one-point game, 18-19, but Smith would get blocked on the next play by Perez, giving Highland Park the serve with the score, 18-20.
Highland Park would get called for four hits, but the next serve from Huguley landed out of bounds, sparking a threepoint rally to make the score, 19-22, as Olton took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, the serve from Hearn landed out of bounds, and Smith followed it up with a tip off of the block attempt by Flores, cutting the lead to, 21-22.
Saylor delivered a kill in front of Ramon, but on the next play, Espinoza stepped on the serve line, making the scor, 22-23. Smith’s serve landed out of bounds, but Alvarado answered with a kill off of Fry to make the score, 23-24, as Highland Park took a time out. Out of the break, Ramirez delivered a kill at the net off of Flores to tie the set, 24-24.
Flores sent a kill sailing out of bounds for the Lady Hornets, but she would answer with a tip off of Ramirez for a kill to tie the set, 25-25. Robinson and Gallegos each sent a hit into the net and a hit intot he net by Constence Cowden put Olton in front, 2726. Smith would close out the set with a kill to take set three, 28-26, and the match, 3-0.
The Fillies took on Forsan at Coronado High School in Lubbock on Tuesday in the 2A Area round of the volleyball Play-offs. Results were not available at press time.