Lady Cats secure play-off spot with win over Tulia

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team won a fiveset thriller over Tulia at Wildcat Gym on Tuesday, 3-2, to secure a play-off spot.

With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 19-11 overall, 2-4 in district play.

A hit by Celia Abeja was tipped out of bounds by Madison McNeese to open set one, but the serve on the next play by Abeja sailed out of bounds tying the set, 1-1. Kennadi Hanlin couldn’t keep the serve in bounds for Littlefield, and on the next play, Ximena Delgado was called for a doublehit, keeping the set tied, 2-2. Kaeleigh Logan sent a kill sailing out of bounds and J’lynn Leijia followed it up with an ace in front of Logan to stretch the lead to, 24, for Tulia.

Julie Bownds was called for touching the net and Leijia followed it up with an ace on the next play, forcing the Lady Cats to take a time out, trailing Tulia, 2-6. Out of the break, A kill by Bownds was returned into the net by Leijia and the Lady Hornets were called for a carry on the next play, cutting the lead to, 4-6. Bownds served up an ace to make it a one-point game, but Logan’s hit on the next play sailed into the net, making the score, 5-7.

McNeese tipped the net for a kill and Kyndal Edgemon followed it up with a kill that was hit out of bounds on a dig by Kaleigh Franco to tie the set, 7-7. Tulia sent a hit out of bounds to give Littlefield their first lead of the set, and McNeese dropped a tip over Alexis Yarbrough for a kill to push their lead out to, 9-7. Tulia would answer, as Delgado delivered a kill in front of Abigail Ybarbo, however it was short- lived, as Edgemon responded with a kill in front of Yarbrough to make the score, 10-8.

A hit by McNeese was hit out of bounds by Abeja and McNeese followed it up with a kill at the net on the next play, off of a long dig from Audrey Abeyta, making the score, 12-8. The rally ended for Littlefield when a save by McNeese made it over the net, but landed out of bounds giving the serve back to Tulia with the score, 12-9.

The Lady Cats were called for four hits, after a hit by Edgemon went into the net, but McNeese answered with a kill over Abeja and Franco, stretching their lead to, 13-10. The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as McNeese sent the serve sailing into the net, giving it back to Tulia. Edgemon hit the foul pole with a hit, but Abeja’s next serve sailed over the back boundary line, making the score, 14-12.

A kill by Mylie Hernandez was hit into the net on a dig by Delgado, but Tulia responded on the next play, as Hernandez was blocked by Karee White for a kill, trimming the lead to, 15-13. Tulia sent a hit out of bounds, but the following serve by Bri Valdez also landed out of bounds, making the score, 16-14. White dropped in a tip for a kill, but a hit by Bownds on the next play was hit out of bounds by Franco, extending the lead back out to, 17-15.

Ybarbo’s serve sailed over the boundary line for Littlefield, but the hit on the next play by Yarbrough was outside the foul pole, making the score, 18-16. Yarbrough hit the foul pole with her next hit, forcing the Lady Hornets to take a time out with the score, 19-16. Out of the break, Delgado delivered a kill for Tulia, but Yarbrough’s next serve was short of the net and Delgado’s kill attempt landed out of bounds on the following play, pushing the lead to, 21-17.

Tulia scored a kill after a dig by Kennadi Hanlin was not played by the Lady Cats, cutting the lead to, 21-18. Abeja touched the net on the next play for Tulia, but the Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as a hit from Bryndle Ray was to close to the net for Edgemon to save, making the score, 22-19. Franco sent a hit into the net, but Bownds was blocked on the next play, by White and Franco, trimming the lead to,  23-20.

Bownds responded with a kill in front of the block attempt by White, as Tulia took another time out. Out of the break, Littlefield was called for four hits, after a hit from Kenzi Jordan didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 24-21. However, Littlefield would close it out on the next play, as Jordan tipped the net for a kill that Yarbrough couldn’t dig, making the score, 25-21, as Littlefield took set one.

Tulia jumped out to an, 0-2, lead to begin set two, but a serve from Franco fell short of the net and Edgemon followed it up with a kill in front of the block attempt by White andAveryana Marquez, making the score, 2-2.Alizae Balderas scored a kill off of the dig attempt from Hanlin, but Tulia’s lead was short-lived, as a tip by Hernandez fell in for a kill, tying the set, 3-3.

White was blocked by Bownds for a kill and a hit by Franco sailed out of bounds, putting the Lady Cats in front, 5-3. Bownds delivered a kill off of a long dig from Franco and Hanlin’s next serve went un-returned, making the score, 7-3. A kill by Bownds ended the rally, as it landed out of bounds, turning the serve over to Littlefield, but on the next play, Leijia was called for a double-hit, making the score, 84.

Leijia was called for touching the net on the next play, but a hit by Abeja on the following play was hit backwards out of bounds by Bownds, trimming the lead to, 9-5. Bownds quickly answered with a kill off of the block attempts byAbeja and Delgado, pushing their lead back to, 10-5. Tulia answered with a kill and Valdez was called for a double-hit on the next play, cutting the lead to, 10-7, before Logan tipped the net for a kill off of Abeyta, stretching the lead back out to, 11-7.

A hit by Edgemon was hit into the net by Franco, as the Lady Hornets took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Logan’s serve landed out of bounds on the sideline, trimming the lead to, 12-8. Several plays later, Tulia would tie things up, as Bownds sent a hit into the net to make the score, 16-16.

The teams went back-and-forth until a hit from Marquez landed out of bounds, making the score, 19-18. Abeja touched the net on a block attempt and Franco touched the net on the following play to stretch the lead to, 21-18. Logan sent a serve sailing out of bounds, but McNeese answered with a kill off of Delgado to extend their lead to, 22-19.

Tulia would draw within two points, after White delivered a kill at the net off of a dig by McNeese to make the score, 24-22, but Edgemon ended the set on the next play with a kill in front of the block attempt from Yarbrough and White, making the score, 25-22, as Littlefield took a, 2-0, lead in the match.

Tulia would not go down with out a fight as they stormed back to take a back-and-forth set three and four, 2225, and 20-25, to tie the match, 2-2.

Littlefield got off to a quick start in the tie-breaking set five, opening things up on a, 6-0, scoring run, before Edgemon sent a hit sailing out of bounds. The Lady Cats would deliver a kill to regain the serve, but Bownds was called for touching the net on a kill attempt to make the score, 7-2.

Franco sent a serve short of the net, but Yarbrough delivered a kill between Hanlin and McNeese to trim the lead to, 8-3. Tulia touched the net on the next play and Ybarbo served up an ace off of Balderas to make the score, 10-3, as Tulia took a time out to talk things over.

Out of the break, McNeese dropped in a tip off of Franco for a kill and followed it up with a kill in front of Balderas, pushing their lead to, 12-4. Jordan delivered a kill off of a long dig from Tulia and Logan served up backto- back aces to close out the set, 15-4, giving Littlefield the match, 3-2.

The Lady Cats traveled to Childress on Friday for their second match-up with the Lady Bobcats. Results were not available at press time. They will close out the regular season on Tuesday with a home game against Shallowater for Senior Night.

First set is scheduled for 6 p.m.