Lady Cats rally past Estacado in pool play
The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team rallied past Estacado on Friday in pool play of their tournament to take the match, 2-0.
With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 2-0 in tournament play on the weekend.
Estacado opened set one with back-to-back points, but a serve out of bounds by Addison Thomas and a hit short of the net on the next play by Ashtyn Paige had things knotted up, 2-2. Kiearra Chiles was called for a double hit on a set and on the following play, Cyvaeah Johnson was blocked by Julie Bownds and Johnson’s second hit was into the net for a Littlefield point, pushing their lead to, 4-2. Madison McNeese served up an ace on the back line, but on the next play, Kyndal Edgemon was blocked by Johnson for a kill, trimming their lead to, 5-3.
The Lady Matadors could not capitalize, as Selena Ortiz sent the serve sailing out of bounds, giving it right back to Littlefield. Tashawn Spence sent a kill out of bounds, before sending back-toback hits into the net for Estacado, stretching the Littlefield lead to, 9-3. Thomas was called for a double hit on a set, but Johnson ended the rally with a kill off of Kennadi Hanlin to make the score, 10-4.
Estacado, again, couldn’t capitalize as they were called for an illegal attack, extending the lead to, 11-4. Ortiz delivered a kill off of a dig attempt from McNeese, but McNeese answered right back with a kill of her own off of Narriah Gomez, making the score, 12-5. Littlefield missed on an opportunity to capitalize, as Bownds sent her serve out of bounds.
Kenzi Jordan dropped in a tip that was just out of reach of Mia Alvarado on the dig try and Eboni Banks sent a hit into the net on the next play, pushing the Lady Cat’s lead to, 14-6, as Estacado took a time out. Out of the break, Kaeleigh Logan served up an ace, but the Lady Matadors responded with a kill by Thomas, off of a block attempt by McNeese, trimming the lead to, 15-7.
Banks sent a serve short of the net, but they recovered on the next play, Johnson dropped in a tip that went off of Bryndle Ray for an Estacado point. Littlefield rallied for three consecutive points off of Estacado miscues, before McNeese sent a serve sailing out of bounds, making the score, 19-9.
Ortiz served up an ace for Estacado and Spence dropped in a tip that Hanlin couldn’t get to on the dig try, cutting the lead to, 19-11, before Ortiz sent a serve out of bounds turning it back over to Littlefield. The Lady Cats would close out set one on a, 6-2, scoring run, as they took set one, 25-13.
Edgemon sent a hit out of bounds to open set two, but Thomas’ serve sailed out of bounds on the next play, giving it right back to Littlefield. Paige delivered a kill off of a block attempt from Bownds, sparking a four-point rally for the Lady Matadors, that came to an end when Thomas was called for an illegal hit, making the score, 2-5.
Spence was called for touching the net on a swing and Bownds followed it up wit a kill at the net off of a long dig from Spence, before Bri Valdez sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 4-6. Gomez served up an ace in front of Logan, and the Lady Cats were called for four hits on the next play, as a kill attempt from Bownds bounced off the net, stretching the lead to, 4-8.
Paige delivered a kill off of Hanlin, forcing the Lady Cats to take a time out to talk things over. Out of the break Estacado capitalized on several Lady Cat miscues before Littlefield delivered a kill to end the run, making the score, 5-12. Spence answered right back with a kill off of Bownds, but McNeese had an answer as well, as she delivered a kill between Gomez and Ortiz to trim the lead to, 6-13.
Edgemon dropped in a tip in front of Gomez for a kill and Thomas hit the net on a swing on the next play to cut tht lead to, 8-13. Jordan delivered a kill off of Gomez, as the Lady Matadors took a time out with their lead cut to, 9-13. Out of the break, Ukiah Upshaw was called for a double hit on a set and her return hit on the next play, off of the serve from Logan sailed out of bounds, making the score, 11-13.
Upshaw touched the net on a tip, but the rally came to an end for Littlefield, after a hit by Logan landed out of bounds, making the score, 12-14. McNeese delivered a kill past Upshaw to make it a onepoint game, but Estacado would answer with a five-point rally, before Johnson touched the net on a tip, turning the serve back over to Littlefield with the score, 14-19.
Jessica Rojero delivered a kill through the block attempt of Johnson and McNeese followed it up with an ace off of Thomas to cut the lead to, 16-19. Rojero was called for touching the net on the next play, But Estacado’s next serve was hit short of the net by Thomas, making the score, 17-20. Logan sent a hit into the net on the next play, but Bownds followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Johnson to trim the lead to, 18-21.
Valdez served up an ace in front of Ortiz and Johnson hit the ball out of bounds on the next play, as the set was all knotted up, 20-20. Estacado was called for four hits, giving Littlefield the lead, 21-20, as they took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, a hit by Paige fell in for a kill to tie the set, but it was short-lived, as Gomez’s serve fell short of the net, making the score, 22-21.
The set would be tied again on the next play, after Paige delivered a kill off of Valdez and Estacado would take the lead on the next play after a hit fell short of the net from McNeese. The Lady Matadors could not capitalize, as Upshaw sent a serve sailing out of bounds to tie the set, 23-23. A rebound hit by Logan on the next play, was hit into the net by Thomas and they closed out the set on the next play, as a hit from Edgemon was hit into the net by Ortiz, making the score, 25-23, as the Lady Cats took the match, 2-0.