The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team brought home a gold ball on Saturday night, as they took down the Alpine Lady Bucks, 3-1, in the Class 3A Bi-District round of the Play-offs.
“Everytime we get one of these gold balls it is special, but this one is just a little more special, because it has been rough,” Head Coach Claire Head said. “These seniors deserve it. They have worked so hard, 28 days in quarantine, and we worked out every day virtually. These kids bought in and locked in early and we were able to keep them believing in everything. So, this gold ball means more than just the bi-district win; it has some sentimental value to all of us.”
She added, “Ellie has been practicing really well and I feel like she was the factor in us fmishing tonight. Alpine’s defense is outstanding and I knew that coming in. I knew they were going to know about Geyah and Madi, and we were going to need somebody to step up and Ellie did that. But, I was probably most impressed with our bench, because not one time did they ever stop cheering.”
Littlefield served first in set one, as junior, Brynna Ray’s serve was returned by Daniella Estrada, and tipped out of bounds by Ray to put Alpine in front, 0-1. Paula Vargas followed it up with an ace, and on the next play, junior, Danielle Zapata, was called for being across the net, making the score, 0-3.
A tip by senior captain, Geyah Garza, was hit into the net by Nora Carrasco to get the Lady Cats on the board, 1-3. Carrasco delivered a kill in front of the block attempt by Garza and junior, Ashtyn Parker, to regain the serve for Alpine, but Carrasco’s next serve was out of bounds, making the score, 2-4.
Estrada mistimed a tip forAlpine and her kill attempt on the next play sailed out of bounds, tying the set, 4-4. Estrada sent a hit into the net off ofthe serve from Garza, giving Littlefield their first lead of the match, 5-4.
The Lady Cats could not capitalize, as McNeese sent a kill into the net, keeping the set knotted up, 5-5. Adayna Garcia was blocked by sophomore, Madison McNeese for a kill to regain the lead for Littlefield, 6-5. Zapata was called for an illegal hit on a tip try, and Parker mistimed a tip, putting Alpine back in front, 6-7.
Natalie Garcia sent a serve short of the net, but junior, Emily Champion’s, serve sailed out of bounds, making the score, 7-8. The Lady Cats answered, as sophomore, Kaeleigh Logan, dropped in a tip off of the block attempt by Carrasco, tying the set, 8-8.
Carrasco responded for Alpine with a kill that was tipped at the net by Garza and Logan, making the score, 8-9. the back-and-forth match continued, as Vargas sent a hit sailing out of bounds to tie the set once again, 9-9.
Ray served up an ace in front of Adayna Garcia and her next serve was hit out of bounds by Carrasco, making the score, 11-9. Ray served up another ace, as Alpine called a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, a hit by Ray was hit out of bounds by Natalie Garcia, pushing their lead to, 13-9.
Carrasco was called for touching the net on a swing by Estrada, but on the next play junior, Ellie Lopez had her hit blocked by Estrada for a kill, trimming the lead to, 14-10. Garza answered with a kill for the Lady Cats and the Lady Bucks, on the next play, were called for being out of alignment, making the score, 16-10.
The Lady Bucks rallied for five consecutive points before Littlefield took a time out to talk things over with their lead cut to, 16-15. Out of the break the teams exchanged points and Alpine tied it up on a tip by Amory Aranda that Garza couldn’t get to for the dig, making the score, 17-17.
McNeese tipped the net with a hit for a kill and a kill attempt by Adayna Garcia landed out of bounds, making the score, 19-17. Zapata served up an ace off of Texas Sablatura, as the Lady Cats took a time out to talk things over.
Carrasco sent a hit into the net and Ali Maroney sent a kill sailing out of bounds, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 22-17. A kill by Sablatura was tipped out of bounds by Garza, but Parker’s kill was blocked by Vargas and Aranda, however it landed out of bounds for a Littlefield point, making the score, 23-18.
Adayna Garcia had a kill tipped out of bounds by the Lady Cats, but a tip by Logan was hit into the net by Natalie Garcia on a dig attempt, making the score, 24-19. McNeese’s serve was short of the net, but on the following play, Mia Morris’ serve sailed into the net, giving the Lady Cats set one, 25-20.
Vargas’ serve to open set two was short of the net for Alpine, putting the Lady Cats out in front, 1-0. Lopez served up back-to-back aces and Parker sent a kill past Adayna Garcia, making the score, 4-0. The run ended, as Lopez sent a serve short of the net to make the score, 4-1.
Carrasco served up an ace in front of Garza, but Garza responded with a kill off of the block attempt by Adayna Garcia and Estrada. The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as McNeese sent a kill sailing out of bounds, making the score, 5-3.
Estrada served up an ace off of Zapata, but a hit by McNeese was mishit by Carrasco, as it fell in for a Littlefield point, making the score, 6-4. Logan was called for touching the net on a block try and McNeese was called for touching the net on a swing, tying the set, 6-6.
Parker answered with a kill and Logan followed it up with a kill off of Vargas, making the score, 8-6. Logan tipped the net for another kill on the next play, as Alpine took a time out trailing the Lady Cats, 9-6.
Out of the break, McNeese and Logan delivered a block for a kill and Champion served up an ace off of Maroney, making the score, 11-6. Adayna Garcia was blocked by McNeese and Lopez for a kill, but Lopez’s serve fell short on the next play, ending the run to make the score, 12-7.
Logan and McNeese sent hits into the net, but McNeese answered with a kill off of Maroney, making the score, 13-9. Senior, Hannah Ballejo sent a serve out of bounds, but Garza dropped in a kill just inside the sideline, to make the score, 14-10.
Vargas sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but a bad set by Ray on the next play gave the serve right back to Alpine with the score, 15-11. Carrasco’s kill on the next play landed out of bounds, pushing the lead to, 16-11.
Vargas had a hit tipped out of bounds by Lopez, but the Lady Cats answered back, as Ray set Parker up for a kill to make the score, 17-12. Garza served up an ace off of Mia Morris, as the Lady Bucks took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Garza’s serve was short of the net, making the score, 18-13.
A kill by McNeese landed outside the sideline, but she responded with a kill off of the block attempt by Aranda, making the score, 19-14. Zapata hit a ball out of bounds off of the dig by Maroney, but McNeese answered with a tip for a kill that Natalie Garcia couldn’t get to for the dig.
Vargas sent a kill out of bounds and Lopez followed it up with a tip for a kill to extend their lead to, 22-15. Natalie Garcia’s return off of the serve from Champion was short of the net and Champion followed it up with an ace off of Natalie Garcia, making the score, 24-15.
Garza sent a hit into the net, turning the serve over to Alpine, sparking a five-point rally to make the score, 24-20, as the Lady Cats took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Carrasco was blocked by McNeese and senior, Samira Medina for a kill to end the set, 25-20, to put Littlefield up, 2-0 in the match.
Alpine was able to steal set three, 16-25, to push to a fourth set.
Vargas sent her serve short of the net to open set four, but a hit by Carrasco was hit out of bounds by the Lady Cats to tie the set, 1-1. Aneesa Payne sent a hit into the net, but the Lady Bucks responded, as Novah Carrasco tipped the net for a kill in front of Champion to make the score, 2-2.
The teams went back and forth for the majority of the match with neither one wanting to give an inch, but a hit out of bounds, by Estrada gave Littlefield a, 19-17, advantage. Ray followed it up with an ace off of Novah Carrasco, as Alpine took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Nora Carrasco sent a kill sailing out of bounds and Ray followed it up with an ace off of Novah Carrasco, making the score, 22-17. Alpine was able to get two points back on misques by Littlefield, before Lopez delivered a kill off of Nora Carrasco’s block attempt, making the score, 23-19.
Nora Carrasco scored a kill off of Ray, but Estrada hit a ball into the net and Garza ended it with an ace to take set four, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.
The Lady Cats took on the Bushland Lady Falcons on Tuesday at Hereford in the Class 3A Area round of the play-offs. Results were not available at press time.