The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team lost their first game of bracket play on Saturday, as they fell to Permian JV, 0-2.
With the loss, the Lady Cats finished 3-1 in tournament play on the weekend, improving to 4-3 overall on the season.
The Lady Cats opened set one with back-to-back points, as Permian’s Mylah Arzaga hit the ball into the foul pole on the opening play and Littlefield’s Kyndal Edgemon followed it up with a kill off of a block attempt by Permian, making the score, 2-0. Permian would quickly tie things up, as Madison McNeese sent a kill sailing out of bounds for Littlefield and Bri Valdez was called for a double hit on a set, knotting the game, 2-2.
Julie Bownds responded with a kill off of Maiya Morgan to regain the lead for Littlefield, but it was shortlived, as Keeley Granado delivered a kill at the net off of a long dig from Kennadi Hanlin, making the score, 3-3. Littlefield took a one-point lead, but it was again short-lived, as Bridgit Smithee delivered a kill off of Bryndle Ray to knot the game, 4-4.
The play sparked a three-point rally, giving Permian a, 4-7, lead, as Littlefield Head Coach Jarrod Thomas called a time out to talk things over with his team. Out of the break, Granado sent her serve over the back boundary line, trimming the lead to, 5-7. Hanlin would sent a hit into the net on the next play and Arzaga delivered a kill in the back corner to push the Permian lead to, 5-9.
Lilyana Garcia was called for touching the net on a swing, but Permian would regain the serve on the next play, as a tip by Emilee Allen was hit out of bounds by McNeese, making the score, 6-10. A tip by Abby York was hit out of bounds by Edgemon, but the Lady Cats would score on the following play, as a tip was hit out of bounds by Allen for a Lady Cat point, making the score, 7-11.
The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as Edgemon sent a kill out of bounds and on the next play a kill by Arzaga was dug out by Edgemon, but hit out of bounds by Valdez, making the score, 7-13. A kill by Jessica Rojero was tipped at the net by York, before falling in for a kill to trim the lead to, 8-13, and Arzaga, on the next play, sent a hit outside the foul pole, cutting the lead to, 9-13. A hit on the following play by Morgan landed out of bounds slicing the lead to, 10-13, but Permian would answer with back-to-back points, as Arzaga sent a kill through the block attempt of Bownds and Rojero and Bownds was called for a double hit on the next play, making the score, 10-15.
Bownds responded with a kill at the net off of a long dig from Permian, but Permian came right back, as York delivered a kill in front of Kaeleigh Logan and Bownds’ block attempt to extend their lead to, 11-16. Granado sent a hit into the net, but on the next play, Bownds was called for touching the net and Permian followed it up with a kill by Garcia to push their lead to, 12-18.
Permian would go on to close out set one on a, 7-2, scoring run to take the set, 14-25.
In set two, the Lady Cats found themselves in an, 0-4, hole, before a tip by Rojero was misplayed by Granado and York, making the score, 1-4. McNeese sent the following serve short of the net, but Permian couldn’t capitalize, as Granado was call for touching the net on the next play, making the score, 2-5.
Smithee dropped in a tip past Bownds for a kill, but on the next play, a hit by Logan was dug into the net by Demri Balerio, before falling for a kill to trim the lead to, 3-6. Garcia tipped the net for a kill and Bownds mistimed a hit on the next play, extending the Permian lead to, 3-8. Arzaga was blocked by Kenzi Jordan for a kill, but McNeese’s hit on the next play sailed out of bounds, making the score, 4-9.
McNeese would respond with a kill in the back corner to cut the lead to, 5-9, but on the next play, Edgemon’s kill sailed into the net, pushing the lead back out to, 5-10. Maliyah Acosta and Ray each missed a serve and Smithee delivered a kill off of Hanlin, making the score, 6-12, before Littlefield took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Edgemon was blocked by Granado, but the ball landed out of bounds for a Littlefield point. Arzaga followed it up with a tip that Hanlin couldn’t get to for the dig, making the score, 7-13, but the Lady Cats responded as Rojero tipped the net for a kill and Smithee was called for touching the net on the next play, making the score, 9-13.
Permian would rally for three consecutive points, before Granado sent a serve short of the net, trimming the lead to, 10-16. Permian would respond, as Smithee delivered a kill off of a block attempt by Bownds, sparking another three-point rally to extend their lead to, 10-19, as Littlefield took another time out.
Out of the break, a kill by Jordan was tipped out of bounds by Serenity Gildon, making the score, 11-19. Bownds would serve up back-to-back aces and a tip by Logan fell in for a kill to cut the lead to, 14-19, but Permian would rally for three consecutive points to stretch their lead back out to, 14-21, before McNeese delivered a kill on the sideline to regain the serve for Littlefield.
Permian would close out the set on a, 4-1, scoring run to take the set, 16-25, and the match, 0-2.
The Lady Cats were in action at the Tulia Tournament Thursday to Saturday. Results were not available at press time. They will be at Ropes on Tuesday, August 30th for a dual with Ropes and Forsan.
First set is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.