The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team held off the Friona Squaws on Saturday, 3-1, in their first meeting of district play at Wildcat Gym in Littlefield.
With the win, the Lady Cats are 3-1 in district play.
Littlefield senior, Ashtyn Parker, opened set one with a kill on the back row and on the next play, Friona’s Jacee Burney was called for being across the net on the play, making the score, 2-0. The Lady Cats rally ended when a kill by Parker didn’t make it over the net, forcing a four hit call on Littlefield to make the score, 2-1.
Burney followed it up with an ace to tie the set, 2-2, but senior, Emily Champion, answered with a kill on the back row for the Lady Cats to regain the lead, 3-2. A hit by sophomore, Kyndal Edgemon, on the next play, landed out of bounds, tying the set, 3-3, but the Squaws would respond with a four-point rally to take the lead, 3-7, on a four hit call on Littlefield.
A kill by junior, Madison McNeese, was dug by Burney, but the ball sailed into the net for a Littlefield point, trimming the lead to, 4-7. Friona would not let the Lady Cats capitalize, as they rallied again for four more points, before senior, Gideon Bramwell, delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Reese Stowers, making the score, 5-11.
Senior setter, Danielle Zapata, set McNeese up for a kill, but on the next play, sophomore, Julie Bownds, hit a ball outside of the foul pole off of the set from Zapata, pushing the lead out to, 6-12.
Bramwell was called for touching the net on a kill attempt, but Friona couldn’t capitalize, as Reyna Arias’ next serve was short of the net, trimming the lead to, 7-13. Stowers delivered a kill off of Zapata, but on the following play, Stowers was called for touching the net on a block attempt, making the score, 8-14.
Senior, Brynna Ray, served up back-to-back aces for Littlefield and on the next play, Stowers sent a tip over the back boundary line, cutting the lead to, 12-14. Ray served up another ace to make it a onepoint game, 13-14, forcing Friona to take a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, a kill by Bownds was tipped out of bounds by Anahi Gonzales, tying the set, 14-14. Ray kept the rally going with back-to-back aces to give Littlefield a twopoint advantage, 16-14, but a hit into the net by Parker ended the rally, making the score, 16-15, as Friona regained the serve.
Parker responded with a kill on the back line for the Lady Cats, but on the following play a save by Zapata was hit into the net by McNeese to make the score, 17-16. Friona would tie the set a few plays later, as McNeese sent a hit out of bounds to make the score, 18-18, but a four hits call on Friona put Littlefield back in front, 19-18.
Edgemon sent a kill past Gonzales and Stowers was called for an illegal hit on the next play, making the score, 21-18. A hit by Bramwell sailed out of bounds for the Lady Cats, but Friona couldn’t capitalize, as Stowers hit a ball out of bounds to make the score, 22-19.
Zapata set McNeese up for a kill, but some miss-communication by sophomore, Kennadi Hanlin, and senior, Emily Champion, let a ball fall in for a point, making the score, 23-20. Littlefield would bounce back and close out the set, as Friona was called for being out of rotation and McNeese followed it up with an ace to take the set, 25-20.
Ray opened set two with an ace, before sending her next serve out of bounds to tie the set, 1-1. A kill by Parker was tipped at the net by Magdalena Licerio, before falling in for a Lady Cat point and Littlefield followed it up with a tip by Parker that fell in for a kill, making the score, 3-1.
A mishit by Parker turned the serve back over to Friona, but a double-hit was called on Arias, after her first hit did not make it over the net, making the score, 4-2. A kill by Friona and a hit out of bounds by Hanlin tied the set, 4-4, but Littlefield responded, as Emma Schueler was blocked by McNeese for a kill to make the score, 5-4.
Licerio dropped a kill on the back row for Friona to tie the set, 5-5, but her next serve sailed over the back boundary line for a Littlefield point. Schueler touched the net on a hit for Friona, but a mistimed hit by Bramwell kept it a one-point game, 7-6
Ȧrias tied the set with an ace for Friona, and the Squaws scored again on the next play to take the lead, 7-8, but a dig by Licerio landed out of bounds, tying the set once more, 8-8. Friona would rally for three points, before Bownds sent a kill between Destini Nava and Gonzales to make the score, 9-11. Ray served up an ace for Littlefield and Stowers, on the next play, hit a ball out of bounds, tying the set, 11-11.
Littlefield regained the lead on a hit out of bounds by Burney, but Friona would tie the set once more, as a dig by Parker went over the net, but landed out of bounds, making the score, 12-12. Gonzales sent a hit out of bounds for Friona and Edgemon killed a ball at the net to make it a two-point Littlefield lead, 14-12, before Friona scored to regain the serve, trimming the lead to, 14-13.
Burney’s serve was short of the net for Friona, but on the next play, McNeese touched the net on a kill, making the score, 15-14. The set went back-and-forth until Gonzales sent a hit out of bounds and McNeese tipped the net for an ace, making the score, 20-16, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Stowers dropped in a tip for a kill and Gonzales served up an ace off of McNeese to cut the lead to, 20-18. Gonzales’ next serve went unreturned by Littlefield and she followed it up with an ace to tie the set, 20-20, as Littlefield took a time out to try and freeze the Squaws. Out of the break, Parker sent a
Out of the break, Parker sent a kill into the net, but Friona was called for four hits on the next play, keeping the set tied, 21-21. Parker and McNeese sent back-to-back kill attempts sailing out of bounds, as Littlefield took another time out to talk things over.
Out of the break, Bownds sent a kill past Nava and Gonzales, but Kitzy Welch dropped in a tip off of McNeese for a kill to make the score, 22-24. However, a bad set by Licerio was hit into the net by Arias and Hanlin’s serve was hit out of bounds by Shelby Ivory, making the score, 24-24, as Friona took a time out.
Out of the break, Edgemon scored a kill on the back row, but they couldn’t finish on the next play, as they sent a tip into the net keeping the set tied, 25-25. A tip by Welch landed out of bounds for Friona and on the next play, Arias’ tip didn’t make it over the net, giving the Lady Cats set two, 27-25, and the lead in the match, 2-0.
Friona would steal set three from Littlefield, 22-25, but in set four, the Lady Cats opened things up on a, 8-0, scoring run, before a hit by Burney was hit out of bounds by Champion, making the score, 8-1.
Ivory’s serve was short of the net, and Licerio sent a hit into the foul pole on the next play, making the score, 10-1. Friona sent a hit into the net off of the serve from senior, Julie Rodriguez, and on the following play Edgemon, was partially blocked by Burney and Welch, but the ball fell in for a Littlefield point, making the score, 11-2.
Friona would rally for three points, before Littlefield regained the serve, making the score, 12-5. The teams were going back-and-forth until Gonzales served up back-to-back aces for the Squaws to make it a three-point game, 18-15.
Littlefield would close out the set on a, 6-2, scoring run to take the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-1.
The Lady Cats were at Dimmitt on Tuesday for their second meeting of district play with the Bobbies. Results were not available at press time. They will continue district play on Saturday with a road game against Brownfield.
First set is scheduled for 12 p.m.