The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team opened district play on Saturday at Idalou, where they fell, 1-3; 26-24, 19-25, 17-25 and 21-25.
With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 15-10 overall, 0-1 in district play.
Brianna Fishback was called for a double- hit for Idalou, but Campbell Ross answered with a kill that was tipped out of bounds by Littlefield, tying the set, 1-1. Madi Williams set Myli Hernandez up for a kill to regain the lead for Littlefield, and on the next play, Bryndle Ray set the ball up for Hernandez, who dropped in a tip in the back corner, making the score, 3-1.
Two plays later, Idalou would tie the set, 3-3, after they delivered a kill off of Gabby Medina, and they would take the lead on the next play, as Ross dropped in a tip for a kill that Madi Brown couldn’t dig. Hadley Underwood’s next serve sailed out of bounds, knotting the set, 4-4, and Maggie McNeese delivered a block on Kambrie Roye for a kill on the next play to put Littlefield back in front, 5-4.
Bri Valdez set McNeese up for a kill, but Roye answered with a kill of her own off of Valdez to cut the lead to, 6-5. Lutrick delivered a tip off of Valdez for a kill and Cobi Saldana sent a hit into the net on the next play, making the score, 67. Idalou couldn’t keep the rally going, as Jayci McKinney sent a serve short of the net, tying things up, 7-7.
McNeese was called for being on the net during a block attempt, but Idalou’s next serve sailed out of bounds making the score, 8-8. Idalou would take a four-point lead, before Paytonn Spann sent a serve short of the net to make the score, 9-12. Idalou had a tip land out of bounds on the next play, and Underwood sent a kill sailing out of bounds on the next play, as Littlefield cut the lead to, 11-12.
McKinney delivered a kill in front of Brown, but Nevaeh Lopez answered with a kill of her own to regain the serve for Littlefield, Fishback sent a kill out of bounds for Idalou and Underwood sent one out of bounds on the sideline, giving Littlefield the lead, 1413. Underwood would deliver a kill off of Brown to stop the bleeding for Idalou, but a kill by Hernandez on the next play was tipped at the net by Fishback before falling in for a point, making the score, 1514.
Cali Saldana served up an ace and on the next play, Fishback had a tip blocked by Hernandez for a kill, making the score, 17-14. Idalou would recover, as they delivered a kill off of a block attempt by Hernandez, but Hernandez would fire right back on the next play with a kill to make the score, 17-16.
Valdez was called for a doublehit and Littlefield sent a hit out of bounds to make the score, 17-18, but McNeese would regain the serve for Littlefield, as she had a tip tipped out of bounds by Ross, tying the set, 18-18, as Idalou took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Idalou delivered a kill, before Heidi Gentry sent a hit into the net and Roye sent a tip into the net, putting Littlefield in front, 20-19. Alyssa Torres sent a serve short of the net and Underwood was blocked by McNeese, but the ball landed out of bounds, tying the set, 20-20.
McNeese was blocked by Lutrick for a kill, forcing Littlefield to take a time out to talk things over, and out of the break, Valdez set McNeese up, as she delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Underwood, tying the set, 21-21. Ray delivered an ace off of Lutrick, but Idalou answered, as Underwood delivered a kill off of the block attempt from Lopez, keeping the set tied, 22-22.
Underwood delivered another kill off of Lopez’s block attempt, but Cali Saldana dropped a kill on the sideline and Brown followed it up with an ace to tie the set, 24-24. Hernandez delivered a kill at the net to give Littlefield a one-point advantage as Idalou took a time out trailing, 25-24. Out of the break, Underwood sent a kill sailing out of bounds, as Littlefield took set one, 26-24.
Littlefield held an early advantage in set two, as Lopez opened things up with a tip for a kill. Ross answered with a tip off of Cali Saldana for a kill, but Hernandez fired right back with a kill off of McKinney and Ross was called for a double-hit, stretching the lead to, 3-1. Idalou though would rally back and take a three-point lead, after Underwood served up an ace off of Cali Saldana making the score, 3-6.
Cali Saldana would respond for Littlefield with a kill on the sideline, but Idalou would end the rally before it could start, as they delivered a kill off of McNeese’s block attempt, making the score, 4-7. Littlefield would battle back and tie the set, 8- 8, after Lopez dropped a tip in front of Lutrick for a kill, and they would take the lead on the next play, as Roye was blocked by Lopez for a kill, making the score, 9-8.
Roye and Lutrick sent back-toback hits out of bounds, prompting a time out for Idalou. Out of the break, Idalou delivered a kill off of Lopez’s block attempt to regain the serve with the score, 119. A string of miscues by Idalou and a kill by Hernandez had Littlefield sitting with a six-point advantage, 16- 10, before Hernandez sent a kill sailing out of bounds.
Idalou would cut the lead in half, before they were called for a lift, making the score, 17-13, as the serve came back over to Littlefield. Idalou would deliver a kill in front of Ray, sparking a rally that saw them tie the set, 17- 17, after Underwood served up an ace off of Cali Saldana. She would serve up another ace to take the lead for Idalou and Roye followed it up with a kill off of Hernandez’s block attempt to push the lead to, 17-19.
Idalou would go on to close out set two on a, 2-6, scoring run to take the set, 19-25, evening the match, 1-1.
Littlefield struggled in set three, falling to Idalou, 17-25, and in set four, Littlefield jumped out to a, 20, lead after Williams and Cali Saldana dropped in tips for kills. After a miscue by Littlefield, they would regain the serve on a kill from Hernandez to make the score, 3-1, but Underwood would deliver a kill off of Brown to regain the serve for Idalou.
A few plays later, Idalou would tie the set, 5-5, after McKinney served up an ace off of Cali Saldana, but it was short-lived, as her next serve fell short of the net putting Littlefield back in front, 65. The teams went back and forth for several points, with Littlefield taking a three-point lead, 11-8, after Gentry was called for being on the net.
However, Idalou would not go away, as they would come back to tie the set, 13-13, after McNeese sent a hit into the net. The back and forth battle continued to the end, but with the score, 21-23, Underwood dropped a kill inside the back boundary line and Fishback followed it up with a kill in front of Ray to take set four, 2125, and the match, 1-3.
The Lady Cats hosted Shallowater on Tuesday for their first meeting with the Fillies. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Saturday with a road game against Tulia.
First set is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.