The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team won a five-set thriller on the road on Tuesday in Tulia, taking down the Lady Hornets, 3-2, to keep their play-off chances alive.
With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 17-12 overall, 3-5 in district play.
The Lady Cats fell behind, 0-2 to begin set one, but a serve from Jlynn Leija fell short of the net and Myli Hernandez followed it up with a kill on the back boundary line to tie the set, 2-2. Lyric Rios sent a kill past Alizae Balderas and Hernandez followed it up with a kill in front of Balderas and Audrey Abeyta to extend their lead to, 42.
A serve by Bryndle Ray went un-returned, but Ray’s next serve sailed out of bounds to end the rally, making the score, 5-3. Tulia couldn’t capitalize, as their next serve sailed over the back boundary line, pushing the score to, 6-3. The Lady Hornets would bounce back over the next three plays to tie the set, as Jazlyn Del Toro served up an ace off of Ray, making the score, 6-6.
The teams went back-and-forth for several points, until a serve from Ximena Delgado fell short of the net, making the score, 16-15. Celia Abeja sent a hit out of bounds for Tulia and a long dig by Madi Brown on the next play, was returned out of bounds by Abeja, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 18-15.
Tulia took a time out and out of the break, Abeja sent a hit into the net, stretching the lead to, 19-15. A kill attempt by Anna Solomon sailed out of bounds, but Bri Valdez’s serve on the next play landed out of bounds, making the score, 20-16. A tip by Kennadi Hanlin was tipped by the Lady Hornets, before falling in for a kill to make the score, 21-16, as Tulia took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Brown served up an ace, but Tulia answered with a kill off of the block attempt by Hanlin to make the score, 22-17. Maggie McNeese had a kill attempt sail out of bounds, the point went to Tulia on the next play to cut the lead to, 22- 19. Julie Bownds dropped in a tip to regain the serve for Littlefield and a long dig from Solomon was killed at the net by McNeese, pushing the lead to, 24-19.
Littlefield was called for four hits after a hit by Hernandez didn’t make it over the net, but on the next play, a tip by Bownds was hit into the foul pole by Delgado, as Littlefield took set one, 25-20.
Tulia would not go away, as they took set two, 21-25, to tie the match, and they won set three, 2225, to go up, 1-2, in the match.
A kill by Delgado sailed out of bounds to open set four, but she followed it up with a kill that was hit out of bounds by Amiah Elizondo to tie the set, 1-1. Abeja sent a tip into the net, but the Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as Bownds sent back-to-back hits outs of bounds, making the score, 2-3. Littlefield regained the serve after a kill from Elizondo was tipped out of bounds by Del Toro, tying the set, 3-3.
The teams went back-and-forth, until a kill from Hernandez was tipped out of bounds by Abeyta, making the score, 8-7. Hernandez followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt from Del Toro, and on the next play, Hernandez had her hit blocked by Del Toro, but the ball landed out of bounds, stretching the lead to, 10-7.
Tulia took a time out and out of the break, the Lady Hornets would string together a run, drawing within one point of Littlefield, after a kill from Del Toro was tipped out of bounds by the Lady Cats, making the score, 12-11. Her serve on the next play sailed out of bounds and a kill attempt on the following play from Delgado landed out of bounds, pushing the lead to, 14-11.
Bownds delivered a kill off of Jenna Van Pelt, as Tulia took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Delgado sent a hit outside of the pole, but Abeja delivered a kill in front of Brown to make the score, 16-12. Tulia couldn’t capitalize, as Abeja’s hit on the following play sailed out of bounds, extending the Littlefield lead to, 1712.
Hernandez delivered a kill and a hit from Van Pelt on the next play didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 19-12. Abeja answered with a kill for Tulia and the Lady Hornets followed it up with another kill on the next play, trimming the lead to, 19-14. Rios responded with a kill at the net off of a long dig by Tulia, however Tulia would rally to make it a twopoint game, 20-18, as Littlefield was called for four hits.
Tulia sent a kill sailing out of bounds to end the run, but they answered on the next play to make the score, 21-19. A hit by Abeya hit the foul pole, but Delgado responded for Tulia with a kill in the back corner past Hernandez to make the score, 22-20. Bownds delivered a kill that was hit into the net by Balderas and she followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt from Del Toro. Ray slammed the door on set four with an ace in front of Jerrica Brookins, as Littlefield took set four, 25-20.
The teams went back-and-forth to start set five, before Ray served up an ace to make the score, 3-2. Delgado sent a hit into the net for Tulia and Ray followed it up with another ace, this time off of Balderas to make the score, 5-2. Leija was called for a double hit and the Lady Hornets were called for four hits on the next play, making the score, 7-2, before Elizondo sent a hit into the net to end the rally for Littlefield.
Van Pelt dropped a kill on the back line for Tulia and Delgado sent a kill past Hanlin to trim the lead to, 7-5, but the rally ended when Del Toro stepped over the serve line on her serve, making the score, 8-5. Cali Saldana delivered a kill in front of Balderas and the kill attempt from Delgado sailed out of bounds, making the score, 105, as Tulia took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Leija’s return off of the serve from Saldana sailed out of bounds and Bownds followed it up with a kill on the sideline past Leija, pushing their lead to, 12-5. Delgado dropped a kill between Ray and Brown and the Lady Cats were called for four hits on the next play, making the score, 12-7.
Tulia would rally for six points, before Hernandez tipped the net for a kill, making the score, 14-12. Delgado delivered a kill off of a block attempt from Hernandez, but Hernandez answered with a kill off of Delgado to end the set, 15-13, as Littlefield took the match, 3-2.
The Lady Cats hosted Childress on Saturday for their second meeting of district play. Results were not available at press time. They will close out the regular season on Tuesday with a road game against Shallowater.
First set is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.