The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team dropped their season- opener against the Talkington Lady Warriors on Monday evening at Wildcat Gym, 1-3.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 0- 1 to begin the season.
Talkington jumped out to an, 0- 5, lead to begin the first set as Head Coach Kaylee Edgemon called for a time out to try and calm her team down. Out of the break, the serve by Aniah Cortez was returned with a tip by Amiah Elizondo and hit into the net by Maresza Lugo to get the Lady Cats on the board, still trailing, 1-5.
Maggie McNeese sent a serve out of bounds on the sideline and a hit over the back boundary line on the next play by Kennadi Hanlin, pushed the Lady Warriors lead to, 1- 7. Hanlin couldn’t make the save on the next play, as the lead extended to, 1- 8, before Myli Hernandez dropped in a tip that was hit into the net by Cortez, making the score, 2- 8, as Littlefield regained the serve.
Lugo delivered a kill in front of Kamryn Jimenez and she followed it up with an ace off of Cali Saldana to push their lead to, 2- 10. Julie Bownds stopped the rally with a kill that was tipped out of bounds by Christiana McCourt, but Talkington answered with a kill that went out of bounds off of Littlefield, making the score, 311.
After Talkington scored another point, a hit by Caitlyn Ferrell fell short of the net and on the next play, Kadee Tidwell was called for a double hit on her set to make the score, 512. The Lady Warriors would respond with a four-point rally, as Littlefield called another time out, trailing, 5-16.
A kill by Bownds was tipped out by the Lady Warriors, but they responded with a kill by Cortez to make the score, 6-17. Isabella Garcia’s serve fell short of the net for the Lady Warriors, but Hernandez touched the net on a kill for attempt for the Lady Cats, stretching the lead to, 7- 18.
Talkington would close out the set on a, 7- 4, scoring run to take set one, 11- 25.
The Lady Cats got out to a much quicker start in set two, as Lugo was blocked by Hernandez and McNeese for a kill to put Littlefield in front, 1- 0. Bri Valdez, though, was called for a double- hit on her set on the next play to tie the set, 1-1. The teams went backand- forth for several points until Tidwell touched the net on a play to put the Lady Cats back in front, 4- 3. Jimenez served up an ace that fell inside the back line and she followed it up with another ace in front of Ferrell to make the score, 6- 3.
Ferrell’s kill attempt sailed out of bounds on the next play, but the rally ended for Littlefield when Hanlin slid across the midcourt line on a dig attempt, making the score, 7-4. The Lady Cats quickly regained the serve, as Cortez touched the net on a kill attempt for Talkington, making the score, 8-4. Cortez sent a hit into the net, prompting the Lady Warriors to take a time out to talk things over, trailing the set, 9- 4.
Out of the break, Bryndle Ray’s serve fell short of the net, but the Lady Warriors were unable to capitalize, as Ferrell’s serve too fell short of the net, giving the Lady Cats the serve back with the score, 10-5. Bownds dropped in a tip for a kill off of Cortez, but on the next play, Garcia had a hit blocked at the net by Bownds, but it fell in for a Talkington kill, trimming the lead to, 11-6.
Bownds answered with a kill through the block attempt of Lugo and Tidwell sent a bump into the net on the next play to make the score, 13- 6. Talkington scored back- toback points, before a hit by Ferrell fell short of the net, pushing the lead back out to, 14- 8. Talkington would draw within two points of the Lady Cats as Ferrell tipped the net with a hit for a kill to make the score 17- 15, but Hanlin sent a kill past Tidwell and on the next play, Bownds delivered a block for a kill to stretch their lead to, 19-15.
Cortez sent a kill attempt out of bounds, but Ray couldn’t capitalize, as her serve sailed out of bounds, making the score, 20-16. Tidwell followed it up with an ace, before Littlefield delivered a kill on the next play to make the score, 21-17. Garcia sent a kill off of Jimenez, but Taryn Golden answered with a kill off of Tidwell and the Lady Warriors sent a tip out of bounds on the following play to push the lead to, 23- 18.
Bownds sent a serve short of the net, but Hernandez responded with a kill off of Garcia and after a Talkington time out, McNeese delivered a kill off of Garcia to close out the set, 25-19, tying the match, 1-1.
Set three was a back- andforth affair that saw the Lady Warriors edge out the Lady Cats, 24-26, and in set four, the teams went back- and- forth early before Talkington pulled away, eventually taking the set, 18-25.