The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team took their tournament- opener over the Olton Fillies in straight sets, 2-0, at Wildcat Gym Thursday morning.
With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 1-0 in pool play.
Littlefield senior, Madison McNeese sent a kill over the back boundary line to get set one started, but the Lady Cats answered, as senior, Kyndal Edgemon, delivered a kill to tie the set, 1-1. McNeese kept the rally going with back-to-back aces, before a tip on the next play by Aspen Struve floated over Jessica Rojero for a kill, trimming the lead to, 3-2.
Olton would tie it up on the next play, as Littlefield freshman, Bryndle Ray was called for being across the midcourt line on a set, making the score, 3-3. The Fillies would take a brief lead, after a hit by Kennadi Hanlin sailed into the net, but Julie Bownds answered with a kill off of Evelyn Matute to tie the set, 4-4. Analise Ramage delivered a kill at the net for Olton, but her next serve fell short of the net keeping the game knotted up, 5-5.
Sophomore, Bri Valdez, served up back-to-back aces for the Lady Cats to regain the lead and Bownds followed it up with a kill past Coara Zermeno to make the score, 8-5. Amie Beelitz sent a hit out of bounds on the sideline and Emma Acker was called for a double-hit on the next play, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 10-5. Payge Devina was called for touching the net on a tip and Beelitz sent a kill over the back boundary line, before Valdez served up an ace off of Zermeno, making the score, 13-5, as the Fillies called a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, senior, Kaeleigh Logan, delivered a kill between Matute and Zermeno, before sending her next serve out of bounds, making the score, 14-6. On the next play, a hit by Logan was hit backwards out of bounds by Devina, stretching the lead to, 15-6. A hit from Logan fell in for a kill after a late reaction from Adrienne Struve and Bownds followed it up with back-to-back aces, before sending a serve short of the net, making the score, 18-7.
Olton could not capitalize, as McNeese tipped the net for a kill to regain the serve for the Lady Cats. Logan served up four consecutive points, before a kill sailed out of bounds from senior, Kenzi Jordan, making the score, 22-8. Beelitz sent a serve out of bounds and the Lady Cats would close out the set on the next two plays, on a kill from Edgemon and a doublehit on Ramage, making the score, 25-8, as the Lady Cats took set one.
In set two, Littlefield found themselves in an, 0-2, hole to start things off, but they responded with a kill off of Matute, making the score, 1-2. Ramage sent a kill over the back boundary line to tie the set, 2-2, but she got her next kill to fall in for a point, as she regained the serve for Olton. Adrienne Struve served up an ace off of McNeese, but her next serve fell short of the net, trimming the lead to, 3-4.
Aspen Struve delivered a kill in front of Hanlin and Devina tipped the net for a kill on the next play to extend their lead to, 3-6. Jordan dropped in a kill on the sideline, but the Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as McNeese sent a kill into the net, making the score, 4-7. McNeese sent a kill off of the block attempt by Beelitz, but Logan’s serve on the next play sailed out of bounds, making the score, 5-8.
Hanlin had a hit dug by Matute, but the long dig was spiked at the net by McNeese for a kill, trimming the lead to, 6-8. Aspen Struve would deliver a kill in the middle of the court and Edgemon had a hit blocked by Ramage for a kill, before Ray was called for a doublehit, pushing the Olton lead to, 6-11. Olton would rally for three more points, before Beelitz sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 7-14.
Acker was called for touching the net on a kill by Edgemon and McNeese followed it up with an ace, before sending her next serve sailing out of bounds, making the score, 9-15. Olton couldn’t capitalize as, Acker’s serve too sailed out of bounds, giving it right back to Littlefield.
Hanlin stepped to the serve line and delivered four consecutive points to bring the Lady Cats within one point of the Fillies, 14-15. Ramage had a kill blocked by Bownds, but it was hit out of bounds by the Lady Cats, and they were called for four hits on the next play after a hit sailed into the net from McNeese, making the score, 14-17.
Acker was called for a doubleht and Valdez served up an ace before the Fillies answered with a kill in the back corner from Devina, making the score, 16-18. Ramage sent a serve short of the net and a hit from Logan on the next play was hit backwards out of bounds by Zermeno, tying the set, 18-18.
Bownds sent a serve out of bounds, but the Fillies gave it right back on the next play with a tip out of bounds keeping things tied, 19-19. Edgemon dropped a kill on the back row and followed it up with another kill between Beelitz and Acker to extend their lead to, 21-19. Jordan was called for a double-hit to end the rally, but Olton, again, couldn’t capitalize, as Acker sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 22-20.
Adrienne Struve was called for a double-hit and Ray followed it up with an ace in front of Matute, before McNeese ended the game with a kill past Matute to give the Lady Cats set two, 25-20, and the match, 2-0.