The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team took down the Estacado Lady Matadors on the road on Tuesday in straight sets, 3-0.
With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 4-5 overall on the season.
The Lady Cats jumped out to a quick, 6-0 lead in set one, before a serve from Emily Champion landed out of bounds, making the score, 6-1, as the serve went over to Estacado. Selena Ortiz was able to get the Lady Matadors back into the set, taking advantage of some Littlefield miscues, before Head Coach Claire Head called a time out to talk things over with her Lady Cats.
Out of the break, Ashtyn Parker delivered a kill off of Autumn Paige to regain the serve for Littlefield, extending their lead to, 7-5. The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as a hit by Julie Bownds didn’t make it over the net, however, it was short-lived for the Lady Matadors, as Danielle Zapata dropped in a tip for a Littlefield point to make the score, 8-6.
Madison McNeese delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Cyvaeah Johnson, but Estacado answered, as Ashtyn Paige dropped in a kill inside the back boundary line, cutting the lead to, 9-7. Kyndal Edgemon scored a kill off of Ortiz and Bownds followed it up with back-to-back aces from the serve line to extend the lead to, 12-7.
McNeese kept the rally going with a kill in the back row, as Estacado took a time out to talk things over, trailing, 13-7. Out of the break, Bownds’ serve was short of the net, but Littlefield would respond quickly, as Kaeleigh Logan delivered a kill off of Annie Thomas to make the score, 14-8.
McNeese’s serve went out of bounds off of Za’Rayah Moses and her next served was hit out of bounds by Johnson, extending their lead to, 16-8. McNeese kept it going with an ace off of Autumn Paige and on the following play, Johnson was blocked by Parker and Edgemon for a kill to make the score, 18-8.
Parker touched the net during a play to end the Littlefield rally, but they would regain the serve on the next play, as Logan dropped a kill in the back row, making the score, 19-9.
Narriah Gomez dropped in a kill for Estacado, but they couldn’t keep it going, as Hannah Gonzales sent a serve sailing out of bounds for the Lady Matadors, making the score, 20-10. Littlefield would close out the set on a, 5-2, scoring run to take set one, 25-12.
In set two, Brynna Ray served up an ace off of Autumn Paige, but she was called for an illegal hit on the next play, making the score, 1-1. Parker’s kill try on the next play landed out of bounds, but a hit by McNeese was hit into the net by Ukiah Upshaw, tying the set, 2-2.
Bownds scored a kill off of Kiearra Chiles and Gomez, but on the following play, Chiles tipped the net for a kill to keep the set tied, 3-3. The teams went back-and-forth until Edgemon tipped the net for a kill to tie the set, 6-6. She followed it up with a kill in front of Annie Thomas and on the following play, Ashtyn Paige was called for being across the net, making the score, 8-6.
Bownds served up an ace in front of Thomas and Edgemon followed it up with a kill off of Ja’Miyah Matthews to make the score, 10-6. Bownds served up an ace, before Coach Head called a time out to talk with her team. Out of the break, a tip by McNeese was hit out of bounds by Gonzales, pushing their lead out to, 12-6.
A serve by Bownds was hit out of bounds by Matthews and her next serve went unreturned, stretching the lead to, 14-6. The rally ended when McNeese was called for landing across the net on a tip, trimming the lead to, 14-7.
Upshaw sent a serve short of the net for Estacado, but Matthews answered on the next play with a tip for a kill to trim the lead to, 15-8. The Lady Matadors could not get a rally going, as Gomez was called for being across the net, sending the serve back over to Littlefield.
A tip by Logan was hit into the net by Gonzales, but they would lose the serve on the next play, as Littlefield was called for four hits, making the score, 17-9.
Estacado would rally for three points, before Logan dropped in a kill in front of Chiles, making the score, 18-13. Parker sent a hit into the net and Chiles followed it up with a block for a kill to cut the lead to, 19-14. Ray was called for a double hit on her set, but Littlefield responded, as McNeese delivered a kill past Gonzales, making the score, 20-15.
Littlefield, again, would end the set on a, 5-2, scoring run to take set two, 25-17.
Parker delivered a kill off of Autumn Paige to open set three, but on the next play, Chiles was blocked by Parker, but the ball landed out of bounds tying the set, 1-1. Estacado would rally for back-to-back points, before Parker delivered a kill off of Ortiz to make it a one-point game, 2-3.
Tricia Torres sent her serve over the back boundary line and Johnson delivered a kill at the net on the next play to push the Estacado lead to, 2-5. McNeese responded with a kill for Littlefield, but Bownds’ kill attempt on the next play landed out of bounds, making the score, 3-6.
Estacado gave the serve right back to Littlefield, as they too sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 4-6. A hit by McNeese was tipped out of bounds by Dachae Patterson, but the Lady Matadors answered, as Gonzales set Ashtyn Paige up for a kill over a Littlefield block attempt to extend their lead to, 5-7.
Littlefield would tie the set two plays later, as a hit by Estacado didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 7-7, however, it was short-lived, as a tip by Edgemon was blocked by Johnson for a kill to make the score, 7-8. Parker responded with back-to-back kills for Littlefield to put them out in front, 9-8, and a serve by Ray was hit out of bounds by Moses to stretch their lead to, 10-8.
Ray was called for a double hit on the next play, but Parker dropped in a kill on the sideline to push their lead to, 11-9. They couldn’t get a rally going, as a save by Parker landed out of bounds and a tip on the following play by Parker didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 11-11.
Estacado would rally for four points, before a tip by Parker fell in for a kill to make the score, 12- 15. Estacado answered, as Chiles sent a kill past Champion and Julie Rodriguez, but Bownds came right back for Littlefield on the next play, as she sent a hit over Johnson and Ashtyn Paige for a kill to make the score, 13-16.
A serve by Zapata went unreturned, but the Lady Cats were called for four hits on the next sequence, making the score, 14- 17. Patterson followed it up with an ace for the Lady Matadors, but McNeese responded for Littlefield with a kill in front of Ortiz, trimming the lead to, 15-18.
Bownds serve up back-to-back points for the Lady Cats, before a bad hit by McNeese sent the serve back to Estacado with the score cut to, 17-19. Upshaw’s serve was short of the net and McNeese capitalized, as she served up an ace for the Lady Cats to tie the set, 19-19.
Estacado took a time out and out of the break, Autumn Paige broke McNeese’s serve as the ball fell in for a kill for Estacado. The Lady Matadors could not keep the rally going, as they hit the ball into the net on the next play, keeping the game tied, 20-20.
The Lady Cats would go on to close out the set on a, 5-1, scoring run to take the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-0.
The Lady Cats were in the Denver City Tournament Thursday through Saturday and they will return home on Tuesday to host Tulia.
First set is scheduled for 6 p.m.