The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team dropped their road contest on Tuesday at Estacado, falling to the Lady Matadors in four sets, 1-3; 25-18, 19-25, 20-25, 18-25.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 5-3 overall on the season.
Addison Thomas gave the Lady Matadors an early lead, after delivering a kill, but her kill attempt on the next play landed out of bounds to tie the set, 1-1. Myli Hernandez was blocked by Ashondra Johnson, but the ball landed out of bounds for a Littlefield point, making the score, 2-1.
Littlefield couldn’t keep the rally going, as Madi Brown’s next serve sailed out of bounds tying the set, 2-2. Estacado would give the serve right back to the Lady Cats’, as Thomas’ serve sailed out of bounds, putting Littlefield back in front, 3-2. London Burrell was called for being across the net on a tip and on the next play, Tashawn Spence was blocked by Madi Williams for a kill, stretching the lead to, 5-2.
A serve from Cali Saldana went un-returned and Williams followed it up with a kill off of Danali Perez, making the score, 7-2, as Estacado took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Williams sent a hit into the net, but Bryndle Ray responded for the Lady Cats, dropping in a tip for a kill to push their lead to, 8-3.
The teams exchanged several points, and Maggie McNeese had her kill tipped out of bounds by Amari Atkins, stretching their lead to, 12-4. Spence delivered a kill over McNeese and Spence followed it up with an ace on the sideline to trim the lead to, 12-6. Her next serve, though, would sail out of bounds, and Cali Saldana followed it up with a tip that was hit out of bounds by Burrell, extending the lead back out to, 14-6.
Azaerius Riddle sent a hit out of bounds for the Lady Matadors and Thomas sent a hit into the net, before delivering a kill off of Tailyn Gomez to make the score, 16-7. Atkins followed it up with an ace off of Gomez and a hit by Cali Saldana on the next play didn’t make it over the net, trimming the lead to, 16-9.
Cali Saldana hit a ball into the net off of the serve from Atkins, prompting the Lady Cats to take a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Atkins’ serve landed out of bounds on the sideline. However, Littlefield couldn’t get a rally going as Ray was called for a double-hit on the next play, making the score, 17-11.
Eboni Banks dropped in a soft hit for a kill in the middle of the Lady Cat’s defense, but Williams answered with a kill off of Burrell to make the score, 18-12. A tip by Cali Saldana landed out of bounds on the sideline, but on the next play, a diving dig by Brown was hit into the net by Banks, pushing the lead to, 19-13.
Johnson dropped in a tip between Williams and Hernandez for a kill, but Burrell was called for being on the net on the next play, extending the Littlefield lead to, 2014. Bri Valdez served up an ace and Ray followed it up with a kill in the back corner, before her next serve fell short of the net making the score, 22-15.
Ray delivered a kill off of Burrell, but Spence answered with a kill off of Hernandez, trimming the lead to, 23-16. Spence’s serve sailed out of bounds for Estacado, but on the next play, McNeese was blocked by Burrell for a kill, stretching the lead to, 24-17. McNeese sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but on the next play, a save by Burrell fell short of the net, as Littlefield took set one, 25-18.
In set two, Estacado jumped out to a, 1-5, lead, before Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, a tip from Hernandez was hit out of bounds by Atkins and Valdez followed it up with an ace off of Spence, making the score, 3-5. Spence sent a hit into the net for Estacado, but Valdez’s next serve landed out of bounds on the sideline, making the score, 4-6.
Ray sent a kill attempt into the net, but Hernandez picked her up on the next play with a kill in the back corner, cutting the lead to, 57. Estacado would respond with a six-point rally before McNeese delivered a kill off of Perez to stop the bleeding. Spence was called for being on the net to trim the lead to, 7-13, but a save by Cali Saldana didn’t make it over the net on the next play and Estacado followed it up with a tip by Riddle that landed on the back row for a kill, making the score, 7-15.
Spence sent a serve sailing out of bounds and Riddle sent a hit into the net on the next play, making the score, 9-15. Ray served up an ace off of Burrell and the Lady Matadors were called for four hits, before they took a time out with their lead cut to, 11-15. Out of the break, Ray served up an ace off of Burrell, but Riddle answered with a kill over Cali Saldana to make the score, 12-16.
Ariana Hernandez dropped an ace between Brown and Alyssa Torres and Thomas delivered a kill off of Brown to make the score, 12-18. Williams dropped a tip over Thomas for a kill, but she sent a hit into the net on the next play to make the score, 13-19, as Littlefield took another time out. Out of the break, Hernandez mistimed a hit for the Lady Cats, but Williams followed it up with a kill through the block attempt of Thomas and Banks, trimming the lead to, 14-20.
The teams exchanged several points, before Spence delivered a kill off of Cali Saldana to close out set two, 19-25, with Estacado evening up the match, 1-1.
Littlefield jumped out in front early in set three, but Estacado would rally back to win the backand- forth set, 20-25. The Lady Matadors would go on to close out the match in set four, taking the set, 18-25, and the match, 1-3.
The Lady Cats began pool play at the Denver City Tournament on Thursday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a dual at Ropes against the Lady Eagles and Lamesa.