LADY CATS TAKE DOWN LAMESA IN 4 SETS, 3-1

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team traveled to Lamesa on Tuesday and took down the Lady Tornadoes in district play, 3-1.

With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 2-1 in district play.

The Lady Tornadoes rallied back to steal set one from Littlefield, 20-25, to put them ahead in the match, 0-1.

In set two, Lamesa opened things up with three consecutive points, before senior, Ashtyn Parker, sent a tip over Zoey Sifuentes and Averie Crittendon that Katey Fletcher couldn’t dig, making the score, 1-3. The Lady Cats couldn’t capitalize, though, as senior, Julie Rodriguez, sent her serve short of the net to extend the Lamesa lead to, 1-4.

Parker delivered a kill between Chloe Crittendon and Fletcher, but Lamesa answered, as Layla Torres delivered a kill in front of sophomore, Kennadi Hanlin, making the score, 2-5. Averie Crittendon was called for touching the net on a play, but Lamesa regained the serve on the next play, as Chloe Crittendon tipped the net for a kill, making the score, 3-6.

Sifuentes was called for being across the net, but on the following play, a hit by Lamesa was tipped out of bounds by junior, Kaeleigh Logan, making the score, 4-7. Junior, Madison McNeese, sent a kill into the block of Reagan Derington and Chloe Crittendon, but the ball bounced off of their block and landed out of bounds for a Littlefield point, trimming the lead to, 5-7.

A server by McNeese was hit into the net by Reagan Derington and her next serve was returned out of bounds by Sifuentes, tying the set, 7-7. The Lady Tornadoes took a time out and out of the break, Sifuentes was called for being across the net, as Littlefield took their first lead of the set, 8-7.

The rally ended when Parker mistimed a hit off of the set by senior, Brynna Ray, making the score, 8-8. A hit by Parker on the next play was blocked by Chloe Crittendon and Sifuentes and it was tipped out of bounds by senior, Danielle Zapata, putting Lamesa back in front, 8-9.

Logan had a hit roll on the net, but didn’t make it over, and on the next play, senior libero, Emily Champion, sent a hit into the net, stretching the Lamesa lead to, 8-11. Lamesa would give the serve back to Littlefield on the next play, as Sifuentes hit a ball into the net and Sifuentes’ return off of the serve from Ray on the following play was short of the net, cutting the lead to, 10-11.

Ray followed ti up with an ace and on the next play, Reagan Derington sent a hit out of bounds, putting Littlefield back in front, 12-11. A kill by Parker was tipped out of bounds by Clarissa Moreno to make the score, 13-11, but the rally ended when a hit by Reagan Derington was tipped out of bounds by Ray, trimming the lead to, 13-12.

The teams went back-and-forth until McNeese delivered a kill over the block attempt by Chloe Crittendon and Moreno, making the score, 18-17. Chloe Crittendon sent a kill sailing out of bounds on the next play and Champion followed it up with an ace to extend their lead to, 20-17.

Lamesa was called for being out of rotation and a hit by Reagan Derington on the next play was outside of the foul pole, making the score, 22-17. Sagen Oaks sent a hit into the net for Lamesa and a hit by Ray on the following play was tipped out of bounds by Torres, making the score, 24-17. The Lady Cats closed out the set on the next play, as Chloe Crittendon sent a hit into the net giving Littlefield the set, 25-17, and tying the match, 1-1.

The Lady Cats jumped out to a, 3-0, lead before a hit by Parker didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 3-1, as the serve went over to Lamesa. Littlefield sent a hit out of bounds, but on the next play, the hit by Sifuentes landed out of bounds to make the score, 4-2. Lamesa was called for a double-hit on the next play and Hanlin followed it up with an ace on the back line to extend their lead to, 6-2.

McNeese delivered a kill that Sifuentes couldn’t dig and Averie Crittendon sent a hit out of bounds, to push the Littlefield lead out to, 8-2. Hanlin served up another ace on the back line and McNeese followed it up with a kill on the next play to make the score, 10-2. The rally ended, though, when Zapata mistimed her hit off of the set by McNeese, making the score, 10-3.

A hit by Averie Crittendon was tipped out of bounds by Champion on a dig attempt, and sopho more, Kyndal Edgemon, sent a hit into the net on the next play, trimming the lead to, 10-5. Chloe Crittendon scored a kill off of Ray, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Champion sent a hit into the net, off of the serve from Torres, but McNeese answered with a kill off of Torres to make the score, 11-7.

Lamesa rallied for three points to make it a one-point game, 11- 10, but Oaks sent a serve out of bounds to end the rally and she was called for a double-hit on the next play to put Littlefield back in front, 13-10. Lamesa, though, would not back down, as they tied the set a few plays later, after the serve from Moreno went unreturned, making the score, 13- 13. McNeese sent a tip over Moreno and Oaks for a kill, but Chloe Crittendon responded for Lamesa, as she delivered a kill in front of Abigail Ybarbo, to make the score, 14-14.

The teams went back-and-forth until Edgemon scored a kill off of Sifuentes to make the score, 22- 17. Hanlin served up an ace and on the next play, Madison Derington was called for a doublehit to make the score, 24-17. McNeese closed out the set with a kill off of the block attempt by Torres, making the score, 25-17, as Littlefield took a, 2-1, lead in the match.

Ray’s opening serve in set four sailed over the back boundary line, but the Lady Cats tied it up on the next play, as McNeese sent a hit off of Chloe Crittendon for a kill, making the score, 1-1. The teams went back-and-forth for several points, until Champion served up an ace to put the Lady Cats in front, 6-5. Champion’s next serve went unreturned and on the following play, Chloe Crittendon sent a kill out of bounds, stretching the Lady Cat lead to, 8-4. The rally ended when Champion sent a serve short of the net to make it a three-point game, 8-5.

Lamesa followed it up with a point, but on the next play, a tip by McNeese was tipped out of bounds by Chloe Crittendon, making the score, 9-6. A few plays later, Lamesa would take a one-point lead after back-to-back aces from Katey Fletcher, making the score, 10-11.

The back-and-forth match continued, until Reagan Derington sent a hit out of bounds to make the score, 24-22. Torres was called for touching the net on the next play, as Littlefield took the set, 25- 22, and the match, 3-1.

The Lady Cats hosted Friona on Saturday. Results were not available at press time. They will be at Dimmitt on Tuesday for their second meeting with the Bobbies.

The first set is scheduled for 6 p.m.