Lady Cats hold off late surge from Olton to take match, 3-0

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team took their first match of their dual on Saturday with the Olton Fillies in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20 and 25-21.

With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 1-4 overall on the season.

Junior, Ashtyn Parker, scored a kill to open set one for the Lady Cats and on the next play, junior, Danielle Zapata, set sophomore, Madison McNeese, up for a kill to make it, 2-0, for Littlefield.

Parker won a block at the net with an Olton blocker for a kill and Hannah Ballejo’s serve on the next play went unreturned, stretching their lead to, 4-0. A kill by Parker sailed over the back line out of bounds, ending the run for Littlefield, making the score, 4-1.

A bad set by Zapata, was hit into the net by McNeese, trimming the lead to, 4-2, but Olton’s next serve was out of bounds, turning it back over to the Lady Cats with the score, 5-2.

Shaylee Leathers hit a ball into the net for Olton and a hit on the next play by Parker was hit out of bounds by Karla Arriola, extending the Littlefield lead to, 7-2. McNeese scored a kill off of Olton, and Parker followed it up with an ace that the Fillies couldn’t get to for the dig, making the score, 9-2. The run ended when McNeese sent a kill out of bounds, but it was short-lived for Olton, as Ellie Lopez scored a kill off of the Fillies, making the score, 10-3, as Littlefield regained the serve.

A return hit by Olton was mistimed off of the serve from McNeese and senior, Geyah Garza, followed it up with a kill off Arriola, pushing their lead out to, 12-3. McNeese sent a kill out of bounds, but again, it was short-lived for the Fillies, as they were unable to capitalize. Arriola pushed a ball into the net on the next play, turning the serve back over to the Lady Cats, with the score, 13-4.

Brynna Ray served up an ace off of the Fillies, but on the next play Olton answered with a kill by Arriola, trimming the lead to, 14-5. Littlefield was called for touching the net on the next play, but Olton’s serve was short of the net, making the score, 15-6.

Junior, Emily Champion, had her serve dug out by the Fillies, as they sent it over the net for a kill, but Parker responded with a kill off of Olton, making the score, 16-7. Leather’s return on the serve by Garza was short of the net, but the Lady Cats were unable to get a run going, as a hit by sophomore, Kaeleigh Logan, sailed into the net.

The serve for Olton by Arriola was out of bounds and on the next play, McNeese won a tip battle at the net with Leathers, who hit the ball out of bounds, making the score, 18-8.

Littlefield was unable to capitalize, as Zapata tipped the ball into the net, sparking a three-point run for the Fillies, trimming the lead to, 18-11. Olton was called for a carry to end the run, but a hit by Leathers on the following play was tipped out of bounds by Parker, making the score, 19-12.

Olton serve went unreturned by Littlefield, but a miscue on the next play by the Fillies turned the serve over to Littlefield. The Lady Cats again were unable to capitalize, as McNeese’s serve sailed into the net, making the score, 20-14. Zapata was called for a carry on the next play, but the run for Olton ended when a kill by Arriola sailed over the back line, making the score, 21-15.

Ray served up an ace for the Lady Cats, but Leather’s dig on the next play was hit to close to the net by Lopez, giving the point to the Fillies. Littlefield hit a ball out of bounds, but Garza answered with a kill off of the Fillies, extending their lead to, 23-17.

Parker scored a kill, but on the next play, Champion’s serve sailed out of bounds, making the score, 24-18. Logan hit a ball into the net, off of the serve from Olton, but Parker closed out the set on the next play with a kill off of Olton, giving Littlefield set one, 25-19.

In set two, the Lady Cats jumped out to a, 6-0 lead, but self-inflicted wounds let Olton back into the match, as the Fillies would make it a one-point game, when Littlefield’s Shamicha Wilson, hit a ball into the net, making the score, 9-8.

Wilson responded with a kill for the Lady Cats, but Ray’s serve on the following play was short of the net, making the score, 10-9. Garza scored back-to-back kills for Littlefield and Champion followed it up with an ace, before Garza sent a kill over the back line to end the run for Littlefield with the score, 13-10.

McNeese hit a ball into the net, but Garza answered with a quick hit for a kill to make the score, 14-11. Arriola was called for touching the net on a push and Garza’s serve on the following play went unreturned, before she sent the next serve into the net, making the score, 16-12.

McNeese and Parker scored back-to-back kills, forcing Olton to take a time out and out of the break, a break by Arriola sailed into the net off of the serve from Ballejo, making the score, 19-12. Olton would rally back for three consecutive points, before a kill by Leathers sailed out of bounds, making the score, 20-15.

Leathers hit a ball into the next on the next play, but McNeese sent a kill long and a kill short, before Garza got the serve back for Littlefield with a kill, making the score, 22-17.

Olton hit a ball out of bounds off of the serve from McNeese and she followed it up with an ace, but the Fillies answered with a kill for Olton to make the score, 24-18. A hit by Garza on the following play didn’t make it over the net and Wilson hit a ball out of bounds, as they lead was trimmed to four points, before a break by Champion tipped the net for a kill off of the serve by Olton, giving Littlefield the set, 25-20.

In set three, Olton scored back-to-back kills for the Fillies, before McNeese responded with a kill of her own to get the Lady Cats on the board, 1-2. Parker had a kill tipped at the net by Leathers before it fell in for a point to tie the set, 2-2, but her hit on the next play was outside of the pole, giving the lead back to Olton, 2-3.

Littlefield tied the set up a few plays later, as Olton hit a ball out of bounds, making the score, 5-5, but the teams continued to go back-and-forth throughout the set.

Olton was blocked by McNeese and Logan for a kill to put the Lady Cats up two points, 21-19, and Olton tipped a ball out of bounds for the Fillies on the next play, pushing the lead to, 22-19. McNeese sent a kill past Kassidy Sandoval and the Fillies were called for touching the net on the next play to extend the lead to, 24-19

Ṫhe Fillies would not lay down, as a bad set by Ray was hit into the foul pole by Parker and Olton served up an ace off of McNeese to cut the lead to, 24-21. Logan would score a kill off of the Fillies to end the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-0.

The Lady Cats were at home on Tuesday to take on Seminole and Tulia. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Sept. 15 ^th with a road game against River Road.

The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.