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KYNDAL EDGEMON - Littlefield Lady Cats
The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team fell to the Denver City Fillies on Tuesday at Friona, 1-3, in a seeding game to determine where both teams will enter the play-offs.
With the loss, the Lady Cats will enter the 3A State Volleyball Play-offs as the number three seed from their district.
Senior, Emily Champion, opened up set one with a kill past Amber Carter, but senior, Brynna Ray’s next serve fell short of the net, tying the set, 1- 1. Carter delivered a kill for the Fillies, off of the dig attempt by Champion and junior, Madison McNeese, followed it up with a hit over the back boundary line, making the score, 1-3.
Carter mistimed a tip, sending it into the net, as the serve went back to Littlefield and the Lady Cats were able to capitalize, tying the set, 3-3, on a kill by sophomore, Kyndal Edgemon. Melissa Soto delivered a kill that was dug out by sophomore, Kennadi Hanlin, but Edgemon couldn’t play it, as it fell in for a Denver City point, making the score, 3-4.
McNeese sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but the Fillies sent a hit short of the net on the next play, trimming their lead to, 4-5. Ray set McNeese up for a kill to tie the set, 5-5, but Carter answered with a kill off of Ray to regain the lead for Denver City, 5-6.
Carter followed it up with a tip for a kill, but senior, Danielle Zapata, answered with a tip of her own for a kill to keep it a onepoint game, 6-7. Carter answered with a kill off of the block attempt from sophomore, Julie Bownds, and Bownds was called for touching the net on the next play, extending the Fillies lead to, 6-9.
A tip by junior, Kaeleigh Logan, landed out of bounds, but a block by McNeese and Bownds fell in for a kill to regain the serve for Littlefield with the score, 7-10. Carter sent a kill sailing out of bounds and senior, Ashtyn Parker, dropped a kill inside the back line to make it a one-point Fillies lead, 9-10.
The Lady Cats couldn’t keep the rally going, as a save by Parker landed out of bounds, but the Fillies gave the serve right back to Littlefield, as a tip by Aubrey Ayala landed out of bounds, making the score, 10- 11. The Lady Cats tied the set on the next play, as Zapata set Bownds up for a kill to make the score, 11-11.
Champion served up an ace off of Sucely Villa to give Littlefield the lead, 12-11, and Parker followed it up with a kill off of Villa to make it a two-point Littlefield lead, 13-11. Denver City would bounce back and tie the set two-plays later, as Ayala dropped in a kill in the back corner to make the score, 13-13.
Edgemon delivered a kill past Carter to regain the lead for the Lady Cats and a tip by Soto on the next play landed out of bounds to make the Littlefield lead, 15-13. A save by Ayala landed out of bounds, pushing the score to, 16-13, as Denver City took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Champion delivered a kill off of Villa, but on the next play, Ray couldn’t play a ball off of the net, making the score, 17-14, as the serve went back to the Fillies. Carter mistimed a hit at the net for the Fillies, but the Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as Edgemon sent a hit over the back boundary line, making the score, 18- 15.
Carter sent a kill through the block attempt by McNeese and Zapata, but Soto’s serve on the next play was short of the net, making the score, 19-16. The Fillies misfired on the next play, as the ball sailed into the net and they were called for four hits on the following play, after Carter sent a hit into the net, making the score, 21-16.
McNeese delivered a kill to stretch their lead to, 22-16, as the Fillies took a time out to talk things over. Clarissa Orona was blocked by McNeese and Carter sent the rebound hit into the net, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 23-16.
Denver City rallied for four points to cut the lead to, 23-20, as the Lady Cats called for a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, McNeese delivered back-to-back kills to end the set, 25-20, to put Littlefield in front, 1-0, in the match.
The Fillies would not be denied though, as they bounced back to take set two, 16-25, and set three 14-25, putting them in front, 1-2, in the match.
The teams lined up for set four, as Parker delivered a kill in front of Tori Rodriguez to start things off. Carter answered with a kill off of the block attempt from McNeese, but Edgemon responded for Littlefield with a kill off of the block attempt by Orona to make the score, 2-1.
A block by McNeese led to a hit into the net for the Fillies and Carter followed it up with a hit short of the net, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 4-1. McNeese kept the rally going with a kill off of a dig attempt by Carter, however on the next play, McNeese was blocked by Orona for a kill, making the score, 5-2.
Madison Tuttle served up an ace off of Ray, before sending her next serve over the back boundary line, making the score, 6-3. Zapata served up an ace off of Rodriguez, but Orona answered with a kill off of Hanlin to trim the lead to, 7-4. Carter dropped a kill in front of Zapata and followed it up with an ace off of Champion, before McNeese touched the net on the following play to tie the set, 7-7.
The rally ended when Carter sent a serve sailing out of bounds to put Littlefield back in front, 8-7. The teams went backand-forth for several points until Littlefield was able to take a two-point lead, after Edgemon was blocked by Soto, as the ball landed out of bounds, making the score, 12-10.
Ray sent a serve short of the net and Parker followed it up on the next play with a hit out of bounds, tying the set, 12-12. Edgemon regained the serve for the Lady Cats, as a kill went out of bounds off of Rodriguez, but Carter answered with a kill off of McNeese to keep the set tied, 13-13.
The teams went back-and-forth until Denver City was able to close out the set with three consecutive points to take the set, 21-25, and the match, 1-3.
The Lady Cats will play their Bi-district play-off game on Nov. 1 st or 2 nd against the winner of Alpine and Anthony, who played their seeding game on Saturday. Results were not available at press time.