The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team took their tournament- opener on Thursday morning over the Olton Fillies, 20.
With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 1-0 in tournament play, while the Fillies fell to 0-1 in the tournament.
The Lady Cats jumped out to a quick start in set one, as Bri sent a ball over the net for a kill and on the next play, Analise Ramage sent a ball into the net to make the score, 2-0, in favor the Lady Cats. Julie Bownds followed it up with a kill in front of Aracely Avalos and Myli Hernandez kept the rally going with an ace to stretch their lead to, 4-0.
On the next play, the Fillies were called for four hits, after a hit by Aspen Struve didn’t make it over the net and the Lady Cats kept it going on the following sequence, as Ramage was blocked by Bownds for a kill, making the score, 6-0. Hernandez sent a serve sailing out of bounds to end the run for Littlefield, and a tip on the next play by Kenzi Jordan sailed out of bounds, trimming the lead to, 6-2.
Amie Beelitz delivered a kill outside the boundary line, but on the next play a kill by Beelitz was tipped out of bounds by Bryndle Ray, making the score, 7- 3. Littlefield would regain the serve, as Amiah Elizondo delivered a kill in front of Ciara Zermeno to push the Lady Cat lead to, 8-3.
Littlefield, though, couldn’t capitalize, as Bownds sent a kill into the net cutting the lead to, 84, as Olton regain the serve. Payge Davina delivered a kill for the Fillies, but they gave the serve back to Littlefield on the next play, after Adrienne Struve sent a kill sailing out of bounds. Ray dropped in a tip in the back corner of the court for a kill and Bownds followed it up with an ace on the back line to make the score, 11-5.
Bownds served up another ace, this time in front of Zermeno, but on the next play, Olton delivered a kill off of Cali Saldana to trim the lead to, 12-6, as the Fillies regained the serve. Hernandez delivered a strike that was tipped at the net by Adrienne Struve before falling in for a kill to make the score, 13-6. A series of miscues for the Fillies sparked a four-point rally for the Lady Cats, before Bri Valdez sent a serve sailing out of bounds to make the score, 17-7.
Kennadi Hanlin delivered a kill in front of Davina, but Ramage responded for the Fillies, delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Hernandez and Maggie McNeese, trimming the lead to, 18-8. A kill attempt by Hernandez sailed out of bounds and the Fillies followed it up with a kill of their own to cut the lead to, 18-10.
A hit by Kamryn Jimenez landed out of bounds on the sideline and a hit on the next play by Saldana was tipped back over the net by Beelitz for a kill to slice the lead to, 18-12, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Beelitz delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Valdez and Jimenez followed it up with a hit into the net to make the score, 1814.
Beelitz had a kill partially blocked at the net by Hernandez, before falling in front of Valdez for a kill, but the rally ended on the next play when Beelitz sent a hit to close to the net for Emma Acker to play, making the score, 19-15. A tip by Bownds was dug into the net by Acker and a kill attempt on the next play by Ramage landed out of bounds, stretching the lead to, 21-15.
Jordan and Ramage exchanged hits into the net and another hit into the by Jordan gave the serve back to Olton with the score, 2217. Davina delivered a kill for the Fillies, but Beelitz’s next kill try sailed long on her to make the score, 23-18, with Littlefield regaining the serve. Saldana served up an ace off of Zermeno and a tip by Ray on the next play found the back corner for a kill to end the set with Littlefield taking set 1, 25-18.
Bownds got set two started with a kill at the net off of a tip by Beelitz, but Acker responded with a kill on the back row for the Fillies to tie the set, 1-1. Bownds answered with a kill off of Denisse Alvarado to make the score, 2-1, but her next serve fell short of the net knotted the set, 2-2. Beelitz couldn’t capitalize, as her serve sailed out of bounds, giving Littlefield the lead, 3-2.
The teams went back-and-forth until Acker sent a serve sailing out of bounds for the Fillies. A kill attempt by Davina on the next play also sailed out of bounds for Olton, putting Littlefield back in front, 5-4. A kill by the Lady Cats was tipped out of bounds by Kaitly Avalos and Hanlin followed it up with an ace to stretch their lead to, 7-4, before Saldana sent hit into the net, giving the serve back to Olton.
Hernandez sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but Taryn Golden followed it up with a tip that landed in the middle of the court for a kill to make the score, 8-6. Littlefield couldn’t get a rally going, as Bownds’ kill sailed out of bounds, but Olton didn’t capitalize either, as Beelitz sent a hit into the net to make the score, 9-7.
A set by Ray landed to close to the net for Bownds to play and this time Beelitz capitalized for the Fillies delivering a kill off of the block attempt from Bownds to tie the set, 9-9. Bownds would respond with a kill off of Aracely Avalos to regain the lead for the Lady Cats and she would make it three kills in a row to stretch their lead to, 12-9, before Hanlin sent a hit sailing out of bounds.
Hanlin delivered a kill at the net off of Acker and on the next play, Beelitz sent a hit out of bounds to push the Littlefield lead to, 14-10. Hanlin and Hernandez kept the rally going with back-to-back kills and Bownds followed it up with an ace between Zermeno and Kaitly Avalos to push their lead to, 17-10, before her next serve landed out of bounds.
On the next play, though, Ray set Hernandez up for a kill off of the block attempt from Adrienne Struve, stretching their lead to, 1811. Olton would not go away, as Acker dropped in a hit for a kill as Maddie Brown mistimed the dig. Littlefield was called for four hits on the next play and Davina followed it up with a kill off of Saldana to cut the lead to, 18-14.
Aspen Struve followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Hernandez, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Hernandez dropped in a tip for a kill to end the run for Olton and Littlefield went on a, 51, scoring run to take set two, 2516, and the match, 2-0.
DELIVERING THE SERVE - Olton’s Kaitly Avalos leaps up to deliver a serve during the second set of their match with the Littlefield Lady Cats at the Littlefield Tournament Thursday morning. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
GOING FOR A KILL - Littlefield’s, Julie Bownds, goes up for a kill, during set one of the Lady Cats’ tournament-opener Thursday morning against the Olton Fillies. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)