LADY CATS TAKE DOWN DIMMITT IN DISTRICT-OPENER

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team opened district play on Tuesday with a, 3-0, victory over the Dimmitt Bobbies at Wildcat Gym in Littlefield.

With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 1-0 in district play.

Dimmitt jumped out to an, 0-3, lead in set one, but a kill by Ashtyn Parker got the Lady Cats on the board, trimming the lead to, 1-3. Julie Bownds’ serve sailed over the back line out of bounds, but on the next play, Parker sent a kill past Mariah Marmolejo to regain the serve for Littlefield.

Kennadi Hanlin sent a serve over the net and Dimmitt’s Michelle Ontiveros sent the return hit into the net, making the score, 3-4. Hanlin served up an ace on the next play to tie the set and on the next play, Dimmit was called for being out of rotation, giving the Lady Cats their first lead of the game.

Hanlin’s next serve was returned out of bounds by Ashley Macias, and Hanlin followed it up with an ace to make the score, 7-4. Hanlin served up another ace, as the Bobbies called a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Ontiveros sent a hit out of bounds off of Emily Champion to regain the serve for Dimmitt with the score, 8-5.

On the next play, a block by Madison McNeese was hit into the net by Macias, making the score, 9-5. Rodriguez served up back-to-back aces, before sending a serve short of the net, making the score, 11-6. Marium Monreal served up an ace for Dimmitt, but the Lady Cats regained the serve on the next play, stretching their serve to, 12-7.

The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, as Champion sent her serve over the back boundary line, but on the following play, Milee Thomas was blocked by McNeese for a kill, making the score, 13-8. McNeese served up back-to-back aces for Littlefield and Marmolejo sent a hit into the net, stretching the Littlefield lead to, 16-8.

Alondra Velo sent a hit out of bounds for Dimmitt, but McNeese’s serve on the following play was short of the net, trimming the lead to, 17-9.

Dimmitt could not capitalize, as Thomas sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 18-9. Velo sent a kill over Bownds and Kyndal Edgemon to cut the lead to, 18-10 and Parker followed it up with a kill past Marmolejo, pushing the lead to, 19-10.

Bownds’ serve was returned out of bounds by Marmolejo and Bownds followed it up with back-to-back aces to extend their lead to, 22-10. Logan was knocked into the net during a play for a Dimmitt point, but on the next play, Edgemon sent a tip over Macias and K’Mree Nino to stretch the lead to, 23-11.

McNeese delivered a lefthanded kill and on the following play, Ontiveros touched the net on a hit to make the score, 25-11, as the Lady Cats took set one.

Parker delivered a kill past Ontiveros to begin set two Julie Rodriguez served up an ace for Littlefield, but on the next play, a hit by Marmolejo was tipped at the net by Edgemon, before falling in for a Dimmitt kill, making the score, 2-1. Edgemon regain the serve for Littlefield, as she dropped in a tip over Ontiveros for a kill. Ontiveros was blocked by McNeese and Edgemon for a kill and a bad hit by Nino on the next play put the Lady Cats up, 5-1.

Edgemon sent a hit out of bounds, but the Bobbies couldn’t capitalize, as Jazlyn Rodriguez sent her serve sailing out of bounds. Tricia Torres had a serve returned into the net by Ontiveros, stretching the Littlefield lead to, 7-2. The Bobbies would regain the serve, as a return by Jazlyn Rodriguez fell in for a kill. Littlefield took a time out and out of the break, Littlefield scored a kill to regain the serve, making the score, 8-3, and McNeese dropped a kill in on the back row, making the score, 9-3.

McNeese scored a kill and Champion followed it up with an ace for the Lady Cats, but Brynna Ray touched the net on a tip, making the score, 11-4, as Dimmitt regained the serve. McNeese sent back-to-back hits out of bounds, but the run ended when Ontiveros sent her serve over the back boundary line, making the score, 12-6.

A long break by Dimmitt off of the serve from McNeese fell in for a kill, but on the following play, Parker delivered a kill off of Ontiveros to make the score, 13-7, but on the next play, Edgemon touched the net on a kill, cutting the lead to, 13-8.

Littlefield regained the serve with a kill and Parker followed it up with a kill off of Marmolejo to extend their lead to, 15-8, before a serve by Rodriguez was hit into the net on a diving dig attempt by Ontiveros, making the score, 16-8. Dimmitt took a time out and out of the break, a set by Ray was tipped out of bounds by Velo. Marmolejo hit a ball into the net, but Littlefield couldn’t keep the rally going, as Gideon Bramwell sent a hit into the net, making the score, 18-9.

Marmolejo sent a serve out of bounds, but Bramwell touched the net on a swing to make the score, 19-10. Dimmitt again couldn’t capitalize, as Jazlyn Rodriguez sent her serve short of the net. McNeese scored a kill off of Velo, but on the next play, a tip by Marmolejo went out of bounds off of Ray to trim the lead to, 21-11.

Torres dropped in a hit for a kill and McNeese followed it up with a kill, off of the set from Ray, pushing their lead to, 23-11. Bownds sent a hit into the net, and on the following play, Ariathna Lopez sent a hit over the net, that was hit into the net by Bownds, making the score, 23-12.

Ontiveros served up an ace for Dimmitt, but her next serve fell short of the net, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 24-14. McNeese would close out the set on the next play, as she served up an ace to give Littlefield set two, 25-14.

In set three, a hit by Parker was returned by Macias and kill by Bownds to put the Lady Cats in front, 1-0. McNeese sent a kill sailing out of bounds on the next play, but on the following sequence, Macias was blocked by Parker for a kill to make the score, 2-1. Macias sent a hit over the side boundary, but on the next play, Marmolejo tipped the net for a kill and the Bobbies tied it up on the following play when Littlefield sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 3-3.

Dimmitt took the lead with an ace by Lopez, but the Lady Cats tied it up on the next play, as Edgemon’s kill was tipped out of bounds by Velo on a dig attempt, making the score, 4-4. McNeese tipped the net for a kill to regain the lead for Littlefield, and Macias sent a hit into the net making the score, 6-4.

Ontiveros sent a hit out of bounds and on the next play, Macias was blocked by McNeese for a kill, pushing their lead out to, 8-4. Hanlin served up an ace for Littlefield and a miss-hit by Nino, made the score, 10-4. Dimmitt took a time out and out of the break, Ontiveros was blocked by McNeese and Edgemon for a kill and the Lady Cats followed it up with another strong defensive play, as McNeese and Bramwell blocked Nino for a kill, making the score, 12-4.

Hanlin took to the serve line, rallying for five consecutive points, before Bramwell sent a hit out of bounds, making the score, 17-5. Monreal sent a hit into the net and Lopez sent a hit out of bounds on the next play, making the score 19-5. Rodriguez tipped the net for an ace and Thomas sent a kill out of bounds, making the score, 21-5.

Dimmitt scored as a ball fell in Littlefield’s court on some misscommunication, but Littlefield would close out the set on a, 4-2, scoring run to take set three, 25-7, and the match 3-0.

The Lady Cats were at Denver City on Saturday to take on the Fillies in district play. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday when they travel to Lamesa to take on the Lady Tornadoes.

First set it scheduled for 6 p.m.