The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team defeated the Estacado Lady Matadors in straight sets on Tuesday, 3-0.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 5-3 overall on the season.
Kiearra Chiles was blocked by Julie Bownds to open set one, and the ball was hit out of bounds on the second-chance try by Cyvaeah Johnson to make the score, 1-0. Johnson sent a kill out of bounds on the next play for Estacado, but Littlefield was called for touching the net on the play, trimming the lead to, 2-1.
The Lady Matadors rallied for three consecutive points, before Ukiah Upshaw sent a serve sailing out of bounds, making the score, 3-4. Kennadi Hanlin served up an ace off of Norma Salazar to tie the set, but it was short-lived, as Ashtyn Paige sent a kill past Madison McNeese and Bownds to put the Lady Matadors back in front, 4-5.
The back-and-forth match continued until McNeese delivered a kill off of Marriah Gomez, tying the set, 8-8. A tip on the next play by Tashawn Spence didn’t make it over the net and Selena Ortiz sent a long dig into the net, off of the serve from Kaeleigh Logan, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 10-8. Eboni Banks sent a hit into the net, pushing the lead to, 11- 8, as Estacado took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Addison Thomas was called for a double hit, before Logan sent the following serve out of bounds, making the score, 12-9. The Lady Cats would quickly regain the serve, as Kyndal Edgemon delivered a kill over the block attempt from Banks, stretching the lead to, 13-9.
Estacado would put together back-to-back points, as Chiles sent a kill off of Bryndle Ray and Johnson blocked McNeese for a kill to cut the lead to, 13-11. Johnson sent a hit on the next play into the net and Bownds dropped in a kill on the back line to push their lead back out to, 15-11. Chiles blocked Edgemon for a kill and Hanlin sent a kill out of bounds, cutting the lead to, 15-13, but Upshaw couldn’t capitalize for the Lady Matadors, sending her serve out of bounds on the sideline, pushing the lead back out to, 16-13.
Logan was blocked by Johnson for a kill, but Bownds came right back with a hit that went out of bounds off of Upshaw, extending the lead to, 17-14. Estacado would rally back and tie the set, 17-17, as a hit on a save attempt by Logan didn’t make it inside of the foul pole, but they could not capitalize, as the serve from Gomez sailed out of bounds, putting Littlefield back on top, 18-17.
Paige would drop a kill on the back like for Estacado to tie the set, but the serve on the next play by Thomas sailed out of bounds, making the score, 19-18. Littlefield would close out the set on a, 6-2, scoring run to take set one, 25-20.
Ray sent the opening serve in set two into the net, but on the next play, Paige had a tip blocked by McNeese for a kill to tie the set, 1-1. McNeese served up backto- back aces for the Lady Cats and Hanlin delivered a kill off of Gomez to stretch their lead to, 4-1. Paige stopped the bleeding with a kill that was tipped at the net by Edgemon and Jessica Rojero, before falling in for an Estacado point to make the score, 5-2.
Johsnon, though, sent a hit into the net on the next play and Hanlin followed it up with an ace that landed in front of Gomez, before the Lady Matadors took a time out to talk things over. T’Ayra Fountain was blocked by Bownds for a kill and she followed it up with a kill in front of the block attempt from Paige and Johnson to push their lead to, 9-2.
Upshaw was called for a doublehit, but Estacado would end the run, as Johnson delivered a kill in front of Hanlin to trim the lead to, 10-3. The Lady Matadors couldn’t spark a rally, as Paige was called for touching the net on a block try, making the score, 11-3. A tip by Bownds was broke by Fountain, but no one else reacted as it hit the court for a Littlefield point.
Estacado took another time out to talk things over and out of the break, a hit by McNeese fell between Gomez and Ortiz for a point, pushing their lead to, 13- 3. Estacado was called for four hits as a tip by Paige didn’t make it over the net, but the Lady Cats would give the serve back to Estacado, as Bownds was called for touching the net on a play, trimming the lead to, 14-4.
Estacado would hand the serve right back to Littlefield, as Thomas’ serve fell short of the net. McNeese followed it up with a kill on the back line and on the next play, Spence’s kill attempt sailed out of bounds, stretching the lead to, 17-4. Thomas touched the net on a tip try, but Bownds’ serve on the next play was short of the net, making the score, 18-5. The Lady Cats would go on to close out set two on a, 7-4, scoring run to take the set, 25-9.
The Lady Cats found themselves in a, 6-0, hole to open set three, before Upshaw sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 1-6. Chiles sent a hit out of bounds, but on the next play, Rojero lost a tip battle at the net with Paige, making the score, 2-7. A hit by McNeese fell short of the net, but Ortiz’s serve on the next play didn’t make it over the net, trimming the lead to, 3-8, as Littlefield regained the serve.
A serve by Bri Valdez went unreturned and on the next play, the serve was hit into the net by the Lady Matadors, cutting the lead to, 5-8. A hit by Spence was mistimed by Kenzie Jordan, but Paige was called for being across the net on a tip on the next play, making the score, 6-9. Spence tipped the net with a hit that snuck past Jordan for a kill, but Banks sent a hit out of bounds on the following play, making the score, 7-10.
The Lady Cats would rally and tie the set, 10-10, as the Lady Matadors were called for a double-hit forcing Estacado to take a time out to talk things over. Out of the break Logan’s serve went unreturned, but on the next play, a hit by Spence was tipped out of bounds by Valdez, tying the set, 11-11.
The teams went back-and-forth until Banks sent a serve out of bounds, putting the Lady Cats in front, 14-13. Bownds delivered a kill at the net off of a long dig by Salazar, as the Lady Matadors took another time out. Out of the break, Upshaw was called for a double-hit on the set, extending the Littlefield lead to, 16-13. A few plays later, Estacado would draw within one point of the Lady Cats, as Johnson delivered a kill off of a long dig from Bownds, making the score, 17-16.
The Lady Matadors, again, couldn’t capitalize, as Spence touched the net on a block attempt and Upshaw sent a kill out of bounds on the following play, pushing the lead back out to, 19-16. Estcado would not lay down, as they rallied to take the lead, 21-19, after a long dig from Logan was killed at the net by Spence.
Jordan tipped the net for a kill to regain the serve for the Lady Cats and Banks sent back-to-back kills out of bounds and McNeese followed it up with a kill on the back line past Gomez, to make the score, 23-21. Estacado would take a brief lead on an ace from Paige, but Spence touched the net on a swing on the next play to tie the set, 24-24.
Banks sent a hit out of bounds and Edgemon finished off the set with a kill off of Gomez, making the score, 26-24, as Littlefield took the set, 3-0.
The Lady Cats were at the Tulia tournament Thursday to Saturday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a dual at Ropes against the Lady Eagles and Forsan.
First set is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.