By DEREK LOPEZ
The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team came back after dropping their first set to Lamesa on Tuesday to take the match, 3-1.
With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 2-1 in district play.
Set one, was a back-and-forth chess match for both teams. Lamesa tied the set, 19-19, after a hit from Littlefield senior captain, Geyah Garza, sailed into the net. Littlefield took a time out to talk things over, but out of the break, Lamesa closed out the set on a, 6- 1, scoring run to take set one, 20- 25
Ṫhe Lady Cats got out to a quick start in set two, as junior, Danielle Zapata, served up an ace off of Amaya Vasquez. Lamesa was called for four hits on the next play, but the Lady Cats turned the serve over to Lamesa on the following play, as Zapata touched the net on a save, making the score, 2-1.
Sophomore, Madison McNeese, delivered a kill through the block attempt of Laila Vasquez and Amaya Vasquez and Lamesa followed it up with a kill that landed out of bounds hit by Laila Vasquez, extending the Littlefield lead to, 4-1.
The Lady Tornadoes delivered a kill, but they could not capitalize on the play, as Laila Vasquez sent her serve short of the net, making the score, 5-2. Katey Fletcher had a hit tipped out of bounds by Zapata and Shamicha Wilson hit a ball into the net on the next play, making it a two-point game, 6-4.
Reagan Derington sent a hit over the back line for Lamesa and the Lady Tornadoes were called for four hits on the following play, stretching the Littlefield lead out to, 8-4. Junior, Emily Champion’s, serve sailed out of bounds, but Emma Garcia gave the serve right back to Littlefield, as she sent a hit over the back line out of bounds, making the score, 9-5.
Garza served up five points in a row for the Lady Cats, before she sent a serve out of bounds over the back line, making the score, 13-6. Again, Lamesa could not capitalize on the play, as Akyra Morales sent her serve short of the net making the score, 15-6.
Zapata set McNeese up for a kill off of the block attempt by Laila Vasquez and the Lady Cats followed it up with a tip for a kill to stretch their lead to, 17-6, before Laila Vasquez dropped in a tip for Lamesa to end the run.
Tatum Derington served up back-to-back aces off of junior, Ashtyn Parker, and Champion, before a tip by McNeese on the following play was hit out of bounds, making the score, 18-9. Lamesa scored backt-to-back points, before McNeese delivered a kill in front of the block attempt by Morales, making the score, 19- 11
Ṗarker delivered a kill in front of Tatum Derington, but Lamesa answered with a kill Amaya Vasquez hitting the floor in the back row for a kill, trimming the lead to, 20- 12. Amaya Vasquez delivered a kill in front of the block attempt by Garza and Wilson, but the following serve by Fletcher was short of the net, making the score, 21-13.
Ellie Lopez sent a kill over the net that was hit out of bounds by Fletcher and Amaya Vasquez’s kill try on the next play sailed out of bounds, making the score, 23-13. Brynna Ray served up an ace off of Emma Garcia and Amaya Vasquez was called for a carry on the next play, on the kill by Garza, giving Littlefield the set, 25-13, tying the match, 1-1.
In set three, Littlefield found themselves in a, 0-5, hole, before Tatum Derington sent a serve short of the net. Freshamn, Kyndal Edgemon, served up an ace off of Emma Garcia, before sending her next serve short of the net, making the score, 2-6.
Laila Vasquez served up an ace for Lamesa off of Garza, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Parker delivered a kill in front of Laila Vasquez, but Lamesa answered with a kill by Amaya Vasquez, making the score, 3-8.
Fletcher’s serve went unreturned, before her next serve fell short of the net, trimming the lead to, 4-9. A dig by Ray was hit into the net by Amaya Vasquez, but the Lady Tornadoes answered with back-to-back points, forcing the Lady Cats to take another time out. Out of the break, a tip by Garza was hit out of bounds by Clariss Moreno, but Littlefield could not keep the momentum going, as McNeese was called for a double hit on a tip, making the score, 6- 12.
Daijah Whited scored a kill off of the block attempt by Garza and McNeese sent a ball into the net, before a kill by Garza was tipped at the net by Laila Vasquez, falling in for a Littlefield point to trim the lead to, 7-14.
Fletcher touched the net on a play and Whited hit a ball into the net on the following play to cut the lead to, 9-14, but Garza’s next serve fell short of the net turning it back over to Lamesa.
The Lady Cats were called for four hits on the next play, making the score, 9-16, but a kill sailed out of bounds on the swing by Whited, turning the serve back over to Littlefield. Fletcher sent a hit outside of the foul pole for a Littlefield point and McNeese delivered a kill in front of the block attempt by Laila Vasquez, trimming the lead to, 12-16.
Tatum Derington scored a kill for Lamesa, but the LadyCats answered, as a tip by McNeese was hit out of bounds by Amaya Vasquez. The set went back-andforth until a hit by Garza was tipped out of bounds by Fletcher, making the score, 16-19.
Fletcher’s tip was blocked by Garza on the next play for a kill, forcing the Lady Tornadoes to take a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Amaya Vasquez sent a hit out of bounds and Garza followed it up with a kill to tie the set, 19-19.
Moreno’s hit on the next play sailed into the net to give Littlefield their first lead of the set, 20-19, and on the following play a tip by Geyah was dug out by Garcia, but the ball floated over the net and over the back line for a Littlefield point, pushing the lead to, 21-19.
Garza scored a kill off of Garcia, befor Lamesa answered with a kill at the net by Reagan Derington to end the Littlefield run, making the score, 22-20.
A tip out of bounds by McNeese and a hit out of bounds by senior, Samira Medina, had the set tied, 22-22, but a kill in front of Garcia by Garza, put the Lady Cats back out in front, 23-22. Whited’s tip was hit out of bounds by Garza, but Moreno’s serve for Lamesa sailed over the back line and McNeese followed it up with a kill inside the back line to close out the set, 25-23, putting the Lady Cats up, 2-1, in the match.
The Lady Cats again got off to a fast start in set four, as Parker delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Laila Vasquez. Laila Vasquez sent a kill out of bounds on the next play to put the Lady Cats up, 2-0, but a dig by Garcia floated over the net for a kill for Lamesa to get them on the board.
Back-to-back aces by Tatum Derington had the Lady Tornadoes in front, 2-3, but a hit into the net by Amaya Vasquez tied things up, 3-3. Amaya Vasquez sent a ball out of bounds on the next play and Trisha Torres’ serve went unreturned for Littlefield, putting them out in front, 5-3.
But, Lamesa, again, would answer, as Amaya Vasquez scored a kill off of Garza, to make it a onepoint game, 5-4. The game went back-and-forth until Edgemon delivered a kill off of Lilian Cortez to put the Lady Cats in front, 9-8.
The play sparked a six-point rally for Littlefield that included kills from Edgemon and Garza and an ace from senior, Hannah Ballejo to make the score, 14-8. The run ended when Edgemon mistimed a hit, turning the serve over to Lamesa.
The Lady Cats scored a kill and Edgemon followed it up with a block on Fletcher for a kill to stretch their lead to, 16-9. Moreno sent a kill over the back line for Lamesa, before Garza sent her next serve short of the net, making the score, 17-10.
Morales sent a serve short of the net for Lamesa, but the Lady Tornadoes answered, as Whited delivered a kill past Garza and Tatum Derington served up three consecutive aces, as Littlefield took a time out with their lead cut to, 18-14.
Out of the break, Laila Vasquez sent a hit into the net, but Littlefield couldn’t capitalize, as a break by Garza landed too close to the net for Lopez to handle, trimming the lead to, 19-15. A hit into the net by Littlefield and a tip by Reagan Derington fell in for a kill over McNeese, had the Lady Tornadoes within two points of the Lady Cats, but Parker delivered a kill off of Tatum Derington to make the score, 20-17.
Morales was called for a carry, but Lamesa would rally for the next four points to tie the set, 21-21. However, Fletcher’s serve was short of the ent and Moreno sent a hit into the net on the next play, forcing Lamesa to take a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Ray served up back-to-back aces to give the Lady Cats the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.
Head Coach Claire Head talked about the victory, saying, “We have struggled all season with starting sluggish and I didn’t feel like we did last night. We actually started pretty strong, but we have a really hard time letting our opponent dictate the pace of the game. That is why it took us so long to get going, we had to figure out that we score out of a quicker offense so we had to pick the pace up.”
She Added, “Our defense had a rough night, probably the first time all season I have felt that we struggled there. I feel that we have a very versatile group that is unselfish and we were able to adapt as a team to pull out the win. It was a big win for us.”
The Lady Cats were at Friona on Saturday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday at home against Dimmitt.
First set is set to begin at 6 p.m.