Lady Cats fall in district-opener to Idalou, 1-3

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team dropped a tough match in their districtopener to Idalou on Tuesday, 1-3, at Wildcat Gym in Littlefield.

With the loss, the Lady Cats fall to 13-8 overall, 0-1 in district play.

Senior, Madison McNeese, opened set one with an ace off of Giovanna Payan, but Kira Fox answered on the next play with a kill off of a dig by McNeese to tie the set, 1-1. Kyndal Edgemon tipped the net for a kill for Littlefield, and a kill attempt from Fox landed out of bounds, putting Littlefield up, 3-1.

Hailey Van BeeKum droped in a tip that freshman, Bryndle Ray, couldn’t get to for the dig, and Van BeeKum followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt from Julie Bownds, tying the set, 3- 3. Aniston Patschke’s next serve sailed out of bounds, but Van BeeKum dropped in a tip over Kenzi Jordan on the next play to keep the set tied, 4-4.

Bownds responded with a block on Van BeeKum for a kill, but Bownd’s next serve sailed out of bounds, keeping the set knotted up, 5-5. The teams went backand- forth until a kill by Van BeeKum landed out of bounds, making the score, 19-22. Idalou, though, would score the next three points to take set one, 19-25.

Sloane Light began set two with an ace in front of Kennadi Hanlin and McNeese sent a hit into the net on the next play, putting Littlefield in an, 0-2, hole to begin the set. Edgemon sent a kill past Patschke and a hit out of bounds by Idalou had the set tied, 2-2. A tip by Bownds was tipped backwards by Fox before landing in for a kill and Edgemon followed it up with a kill off of the block attempt by Paige Harder, making the score, 4-2.

Myli Hernandez dropped in a kill off of the dig attempt by Maddie Holmes and McNeese served up an ace off of Patschke, before Idalou took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Idalou answered with a kill, but they couldn’t capitalize, as they were called for four hits on the next play, turing the serve back over to Littlefield with the score, 7-4.

Idalou sent a hit out of bounds, before answering with a kill to trim the lead to, 8-5. the play would spark a rally for Idalou, as they stormed back to take the lead, on a tip by Van BeeKum that fell in for a kill, making the score, 8-9. Littlefield took a time out and out of the break, Harder’s serve sailed out of bounds to tie the set, 9-9.

The teams went back-and-forth a few plays, until a kill by Edgemon landed in the back corner for a Littlefield point, making the score, 15-14. McNeese delivered a kill in front of Patschke and Fox was blocked on the next play by McNeese for a kill, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 17-14, as Idalou called another time out.

Out of the break, Edgemon sent a kill past Holmes, but Ray’s next serve fell short of the net, making the score, 18-15. The misfire would spark an Idalou rally, as they came all the way back to take a, 19-20, lead after Patschke served up an ace off of Bownds. Littlefield took a time out to talk things over and out of the break, McNeese delivered a kill off of an Idalou block try to tie the set, 20-20.

Harder won a tip battle at the net with senior, Kaeleigh Logan, but Bownds answered with a tip off of the block attempt from Patschke, keeping the set tied, 2121. Van BeeKum and Emma Clawson sent back-to-back hits into the net for Idalou and Logan dropped a tip on the back line for a kill to make the score, 24-21, but Sabrina Mills responded with a tip for Idalou that McNeese couldn’t dig and Light followed it up with a kill past Hanlin, trimming the lead to, 24-23.

Van BeeKum served up an ace off of Logan to tie the set, 24-24, but Patschke’s kill attempt on the next play sailed out of bounds and a hit by McNeese on the next play was tipped out of bounds by Patschke, as Littlefield tied the match with a win in set two, 26-24.

Idalou, though, would bounce back, taking set three, 14-25, and set four, 10-25, to take the match, 1-3.

The Lady Cats were at Tulia on Friday to take on the Lady Hornets. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Tuesday with a home game against Childress.

First set is scheduled for 6 p.m.