LADY CATS DROP HEART-BREAKER TO FILLIES, 3-2

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team dropped a heart-breaker on Saturday in Denver City, falling to the Fillies in five sets, 2-3.

With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 1-1 in district play.

In set one, the Lady jumped out to an early lead, as Amber Carter sent a hit sailing out of bounds on the opening sequence and senior, Ashtyn Parker, followed it up with a kill on the next play to put the Lady Cats up, 2-0. Sophomore, Kyndal Edgemon, was called for touching the net on a play, but she bounced back on the following play, sending a kill off of Melissa Soto to extend their lead to, 3-1.

The Fillies were called for touching the net on a tip, but the Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as Edgemon’s hit on the next play, sailed out of bounds, making the score, 4-2. Madison Tuttle’s serve for Denver City was sent into the pole by sophomore, Kennadi Hanlin to make it a one-point game, but Tuttle’s next serve fell short of the net, pushing the Littlefield lead back out to, 5-3.

Junior, Kaeleigh Logan, was called for touching the net on a block attempt and Edgedmon was called for touching the net on a block on the next play, tying the set, 5-5. Edgemon responded with a kill that was tipped out of bounds by Karley Moore, putting the Lady Cats back in front, 6-5. It was short-lived, as Aubrey Ayala sent a kill through the block attempt of junior, Madison McNeese, and sophomore, Julie Bownds, tying the set once more at, 6-6.

The Fillies scored back-to-back points to take a brief lead, but Logan and Parker scored back-to-back kills for Littlefield to cut the lead to one-point, 7-8. A long break by senior, Emily Champion, was killed at the net by Soto, however the Lady Cats responded with a kill to keep it a one-point game, 8-9.

The Fillies would rally for three consecutive points, before Parker ended the run with a kill off of the dig try by Carter, making the score, 9-12. Carter sent a kill attempt sailing out of bounds, but on the next play, a dig by Sydney Roberts was hit out of bounds by Parker, making the score, 10-13. Edgemon scored a kill and the Fillies were called for an illegal attack on the next play, trimming the lead to, 12- 13. A kill try by Carter sailed out of bounds, tying the set, 13-13, and a misplayed hit by the Fillies put the Lady Cats back in front, 14-13.

A long break by the Fillies off of the serve from Hanlin was killed at the net by Edgemon, but McNeese sent a hit into the net on the following play to make the score, 15- 14. The Fillies couldn’t capitalize, as Tuttle sent her serve out of bounds, as the Fillies took a time out, trailing the Lady Cats, 16-14.

Out of the break, a hit by Edgemon landed out of bounds and the Fillies followed it up with a hit by Ayala that was tipped out of bounds by the Lady Cats, to tie the set, 16-16. The Fillies would rally for four points, before Carter sent a serve out of bounds, making the score, 17-20. Bownds’ kill was hit out of bounds by Kamree Horton and on the next play, Ayala sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 19-20.

Moore scored a kill off of senior, Danielle Zapata, but her serve on the next play was short of the net making the score, 20-21. McNeese’s serve was returned into the net by Carter to tie the set, 21-21, and Bownds dropped a kill in the back row to put the Lady Cats in front, 22-21. McNeese served up an ace, as the Fillies called for another time out to try and freeze the Lady Cats.

Out of the break, the Fillies would score back-to-back points to tie the set, 23-23, but a hit into the net by Carter and a kill by Parker that was tipped out of bounds by Sucelie Villa gave the Lady Cats set one, 25-23.

The Fillies would come back and take set two, 20-25, to tie the match, 1-1.

In set three, The Fillies jumped out to an, 0-2, lead, but Littlefield answered with a kill and senior, Julie Rodriguez’s serve went unreturned to tie the set, 2-2. The Fillies hit back-to-back balls into the net to put the Lady Cats up, 4- 2, before Carter scored a kill off of the dig by Parker. Soto’s serve went unreturned by the Lady Cats to tie the set, 4-4, but, Edgemon scored a kill off of Victoria Rodriguez to put them back in front, 5-4. The Fillies would answer, as they dropped a kill in between senior, Brynna Ray, and Champion to tie the set, 5-5.

Edgemon scored a kill off of the dig attempt by Rodriguez, and the Fillies were called for four hits on the next play, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 7-5. Abigail Ybarbo sent a serve short of the net for Littlefield, but McNeese responded on the next play with a tip for a kill to make the score, 8-6. Bownds scored a kill in front of Ayala, but McNeese was called for touching the net on the next play, making the score, 9-7.

The Fillies couldn’t capitalize, as Villa sent her serve sailing out of bounds to make the score, 10-7. Littlefield, though, would give the serve right back to Denver City, as Ray was called for a double hit. The teams exchanged several points until Carter was called for touching the net on her approach, making the score, 12-10.

Rodriguez’s serve fell short of the net for Littlefield, but Parker answered with a kill in front of Soto and on the following play, Moore sent a kill out of bounds for Denver City, making the score, 14-11. The Lady Cats went on a, 5-2, scoring run, as Ybarbo served up an ace to make the score, 19-13.

Ṫhe Fillies would score back-toback points, before Carter sent a serve out of bounds, making the score, 20-15. The Fillies would again rally for four points, as Littlefield took a time out to try and freeze the Fillies. Out of the break McNeese dropped a kill in the back corner for the Lady Cats, but Soto answered with a kill off of Ybarbo to make the score, 21- 20.

Bownds was called for touching the net on a tip attempt, tying the set, 21-21, and Ayala followed it up with a kill off of Ray, making the score, 21-22, but the Lady Cats would not lay down, as Parker tipped the net for a kill to tie the set and Bownds followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Ayala to put them in front, 23-22. Denver City took a time out and out of the break, Ayala’s kill try sailed out of bounds, making the score, 24-22. on the net play, Ray’s serve was hit into the net on the break by Carter, giving the Lady Cats the set, 25-22, and the lead in the match, 2-1.

Denver City, though, would rally back to take set four, 21-25, and set five, 12-15, to take the set, 2-3.

The Lady Cats were at Lamesa on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Saturday with a home game against Friona.

The first set is scheduled to begin at noon.