The Olton Fillies’ varsity volleyball team competed at the Littlefield Tournament this past weekend, where they went 4-1, taking down the host team Lady Cats in their opener last Thursday, 2-1.
The opening serve from Littlefield’s Jaidyn Saenz sailed out of bounds and Kaleigh Geldenhuys followed it up with an ace to make the score, 2-0. A set from Anaei Ojeda landed out of bounds and the Lady Cat’s struggles continued, as Faith Balderas sent a hit out of bounds on the sideline, pushing Olton’s lead to, 4-0.
Geldenhuys served up another ace in front of Saenz, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Zayda Gonzalez delivered a kill on the sideline, before Abby Rodriguez answered with a kill for Littlefield to get the Lady Cats on the board.
HalleeKate Huguley sent a hit into the net for Olton, but Rodriguez’s next serve landed out of bounds on the sideline, making the score, 2-7. Gonzalez sent a kill out of bounds for the Fillies and Maggie McNeese followed it up with a kill off of Geldenhuys for Littlefield, trimming the lead to, 4-7.
Mattie Seymore kept the rally going with a kill and Balderas followed it up with an ace off of Huguley to make it a one-point game, 7- 6. However, the next serve from Balderas fell short of the net to give the serve back to Olton. Seymore and Taryn Smith each sent a kill attempt sailing out of bounds and McNeese sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 10- 7, in favor of Olton.
Emilee Synatschk delivered a kill off of McNeese and Geldenhuys followed it up with another kill off of McNeese to extend their lead to, 12-7. Littlefield was covered up during the serve, and on the next play, Seymore sent a dig into the net, pushing Olton’s lead to, 14-7.
Littlefield took a time out to talk things over, and out of the break, Smith served up an ace for Olton to stretch their lead to, 15-7. Synatschk was called for being on the net for Olton, giving the serve back to Littlefield, and Ojeda followed it up with an ace off of Smith, trimming the lead to, 15-9.
Rylee Miller delivered a kill off of a long break by Xailei Huerta, but Synatschk answered with a kill for the Fillies, pushing their lead to, 16-10. Huguley kept it going with an ace on the sideline, and during the next play, Seymore was called for a double-hit, pushing the lead to, 18-10. Rodriguez sent a hit into the net, but on the next play, McNeese responded with a kill off of Huguley, trimming the lead to, 19-11.
Anna Vargas had a hit sail out of bounds on her and she hit the foul pole with a hit during the next play, extending the lead to, 21-11. Synatschk sent a serve out of bounds for the Fillies, and on the next play, Geldenhuys was blocked by McNeese, but the ball landed out of bounds for an Olton point. Smith delivered a kill on the sideline, but McNeese answered with a kill for the Lady Cats to regain the serve, making the score, 23-13.
Gonzalez delivered a kill out of bounds on the sideline, but Rodriguez’s next serve sailed out of bounds, pushing the score to, 24-14. McNeese delivered a kill off of Geldenhuys and on the following play, Seymore had a kill tipped out of bounds by Huerta, before Balderas sent a serve sailing out of bounds, giving Olton the first set, 25-16.
Geldenhuys opened set two with a serve out of bounds, but Saenz’s serve fell short of the net for Littlefield, keeping the set tied, 1- 1. Smith and Gonzalez delivered a block for a kill, but Gonzalez was called for touching the net on the next play, keeping the score tied, 2- 2. Rodriguez served up an ace off of Huerta and her next serve went unreturned, making the score, 3-3.
Saenz, though, would send a hit into the net for Littlefield and Gonzalez followed it up with an ace to make the score, 5-3. Vargas delivered a block for a kill and McNeese followed it up
See FILLIES, Page 10 with a kill off of Geldenhuys to tie the set, 5-5. Seymore kept it going with a kill off of Synatschk’s block attempt and Balderas tipped the net with a serve for an ace, stretching their lead to, 5-7.
McNeese was called for going across the net on a save attempt and her hit on the next play sailed out of bounds, tying the set, 7-7. The teams went back-andforth, until Gonzalez was called for touching the net on a tip, making the score, 13-16. McNeese followed it up with a kill at the net and Saenz kept it going with an ace off of Geldenhuys, pushing their lead to, 13-18.
Olton took a time out and out of the break, Gonzalez delivered a kill off of Balderas, but Rodriguez answered on the next sequence, as she delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Smith, making the score, 19-14. Littlefield sent a hit into the net and Smith followed it up with a tip for a kill to make the score, 1916.
Gonzalez sent a serve sailing out of bounds for Olton, and the Fillies would score again on the next play, cutting the lead to, 17-20. The Lady Cats sent a hit out of bounds, but Olton couldn’t capitalize, as Geldenhuys had a hit land out of bounds on the sideline, making the score, 2118. Geldenhuys responded with a kill off of McNeese and on the next play, Seymore had a hit land out of bounds on the sideline to slice the lead to, 20-21.
Huguley served up an ace off of McNeese to tie the set, 21- 21, but Geldenhuys sent a hit into the net on the next play and Ojeda followed it up with an ace to put the Lady Cats back in front, 21-23. A kill by Seymore was dug out by Huerta, but the ball landed out of bounds on the sideline, pushing the lead to, 2124. Seymore would sent a kill attempt out of bounds, but the serve from Synatschk landed out of bounds on the sideline for Olton, forcing a set three, as Littlefield took set two, 22-25.
Saenz’s serve was short of the net to open set three for Littlefield, but McNeese answered with a kill off of the block attempt by Gonzalez to even the set, 11. McNeese, though, would send a tip into the net, but she responed on the next play, delivering a kill on the sideline to keep the set tied, 2-2. McNeese had a kill attempt land out of bounds on the sideline, and Gonzalez followed it up with an ace off of Seymore to push the lead to, 4-2. Seymore would get called for a double-hit on the next play, but she would answer with a kill off of Geldenhuys, during the following sequence, trimming the lead to, 5-3.
Several miscues for the Lady Cats gave Olton an advantage, and Geldenhuys delivered a kill in front of McNeese to extend their lead to, 8-4. Smith tipped the net with her serve for an ace, but on the following play, the Lady Cats would regain the serve, as a tip from Seymore fell in front of Huerta for a kill, trimming the lead to, 9-5.
The Lady Cats would battle back to make it a two-point game, 10-8, after Geldenhuys sent a hit into the net for Olton, but Miller would get called for a double-hit for the Lady Cats, giving the serve right back to the Fillies with the score, 11-8. The teams went backand- forth until a hit into the net by Balderas, sparked a three-point Olton rally, making the score, 16-10, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Littlefield scored back-toback kills and Smith sent a hit sailing out of bounds for Olton, as the Lady Cats cut the lead to, 16-13. A serve from Balderas fell short of the net for Littlefield, but on the next play, a dig by Ojeda was killed at the net by McNeese to trim the lead to, 17-14.
The Lady Cats could not capitalize, as Miller was called for a double-hit and Smith followed it up with an ace off of Ojeda, before sending her next serve out of bounds to make the score, 19-15. The Fillies would go on to take the set, 25-18, as Smith closed it out with a kill on the sideline, giving Olton the match, 21.