Lady Cats win thriller over Ropes, 3-2

  • OVER THE NET – Littlefield’s Alex Hernandez sends a hit over the net, as the Lady Cats try to win the volley with Forsan, During set two of their 3-2 loss to the Lady Buffaloes on Tuesday at Ropes. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    OVER THE NET – Littlefield’s Alex Hernandez sends a hit over the net, as the Lady Cats try to win the volley with Forsan, During set two of their 3-2 loss to the Lady Buffaloes on Tuesday at Ropes. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • LOOKING FOR A POINT – Littlefield senior, Mykenzie Price, delivers a hit across the net, during set two of the Lady Cats, 2-3, loss to the Lady Buffaloes in their first match of their dual on Tuesday evening at Ropes. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    LOOKING FOR A POINT – Littlefield senior, Mykenzie Price, delivers a hit across the net, during set two of the Lady Cats, 2-3, loss to the Lady Buffaloes in their first match of their dual on Tuesday evening at Ropes. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team won a thriller over the Ropes Lady Eagles on Tuesday night o the road, 3-2.

With the win, the Lady Cats improve to 12-4 overall on the season.

After dropping set one, 14-25, the Lady Cats bounced back in set two, starting things off on a, 3-0, scoring run. Bryndle Ray was called for a double-hit allowing the Lady Eagles to get on the board, and Aubrey Bandy’s serve went un-returned, cutting the lead to, 3-2. Bandy’s next serve fell short of the net, but the Lady Cats could not capitalize, as Julie Bownds sent a hit into the net making the score, 4-3. Kamdyn Garcia had a hit fall on the back line for a kill to tie the set, 4-4, but on the next play, Stratton Schertz sent a hit into the net, putting the Lady Cats back in front, 5-4.

Bree Stumbo sent a kill over Kaeleigh Logan to tie the set, 5-5, but Kenzi Jordan responded for the Lady Cats, dropping a tip in front of Schertz for a kill to regain the lead for Littlefield. Madison Reyna was called for being across the net on a block attempt and Garcia’s return on the next play didn’t make it over the net, pushing the Lady Cat lead to, 8-5, as Ropes took a time out to talk things over.

Out of the break, Madison McNeese couldn’t play a ball off the net, off of a long dig from Bownds, trimming the lead to, 8-6. McNeese would answer on the next play, as she had a hit tipped out of bounds by Garcia to stretch their lead to, 9-6. Ropes was called for four hits on the next play, and Kyndal Edgemon followed it up with a kill past Garcia to push their lead to, 11-6. Logan’s serve on the following play, sailed out of bounds to end the run, but Ropes couldn’t capitalize, as Paige Luning too sent a serve sailing out of bounds, making the score, 12-7.

On the next play, Bandy sent a hit out of bounds, and Edgemon followed it up with a kill off of Garcia to make the score, 14-7, as Ropes took another time out. Out of the break, Ropes was able to capitalize on several miscues by Littlefield to cut the lead to, 14-10, before Reyna sent a serve short of the net.

Stumbo sent a kill off of Edgemon, but Bownds answered on the next play with a kill off of Garcia to make the score, 16-11. Schertz sent a kill sailing out of bounds and Kennadi Hanlin served up an ace in the back corner, before Ropes ended the run with a tip by Campbell Latta, trimming the lead to, 18-12.

Logan was blocked by Stumbo and Luning for a kill, but Bownds answered with a kill on the sideline to push their lead to, 19-13. McNeese delivered a kill off of Alex Crunk, but Stumbo responded for the Eagles with a kill between McNeese and Hanlin, making the score, 20-14. Stumbo followed it up with an ace off of Logan and on the next play, Schertz delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Jordan, cutting the lead to, 20-16.

Littlefield took a time out to talk things over, and out of the break, Stumbo served up an ace in front of McNeese, before sending her next serve out of bounds, making the score, 21-17. Luning sent a kill sailing out of bounds, but on the following play, her tip was tipped out of bounds by Bri Valdez, making the score, 22-18. The Lady Eagles couldn’t capitalize, as Schertz’s serve sailed out of bounds, pushing the lead to, 23-18.

Littlefield would close out the set with a kill from McNeese and an ace from Logan to take set two, 25-18, tying the match, 1-1.

Ropes scored first in set three, but the next serve from Bandy sailed out of bounds, tying the set, 1- 1. The Lady Eagles would bounce back, as Stumbo sent a kill off of the block attempt by Bownds and Ray sent a hit into the next on the following play, making the score, 1-3. Garcia sent a serve short of the net, turning it over to Littlefield, but they would respond again, as Stumbo sent a kill past Hanlin to push their lead back out to, 2-4.

A hit by Schertz fell in front of Hanlin for a kill, but Stumbo’s next serve fell short of the net, making the score, 3-5. Littlefield would rally back to tie the set, after a kill from Bownds off of Garcia and a double-hit on Luning, knotting things up, 5-5. They kept the rally going, as Schertz sent a kill into the net and Logan followed it up with a kill off of Stumbo, pushing the Lady Cat lead to, 7-5.

Ropes took a time out to talk things over and they would tie the set coming out of the break, after Schertz sent a kill off of the block attempt from Bownds and then she tipped the net for an ace, making the score, 7-7. Ropes had a player out of position on the next serve, putting Littlefield back in front, 8-7, and a hit on the next play by Jordan fell in for a kill in front of Reyna, stretching their lead to, 9-7.

A tip by McNeese was blocked by Reyna for a kill, but she answered with a kill off of Stumbo to extend the lead back out to, 10-8. Jordan delivered a kill at the net off of a long dig from Ropes and McNeese followed it up with a kill past Garcia to stretch their lead to, 12-8. Ropes took another time out to try and slow down the Littlefield momentum, and out of the break, a tip by Jordan landed out of bounds, trimming the lead to, 12-9.

Littlefield would respond, as McNeese dropped in a tip on the back line for a kill, but on the next play, a hit from Abigail Ybarbo didn’t make it over the net, making the score, 13-10. McNeese would drop a tip over the block attempt from Latta and Bownds followed it up with a kill off of Garcia, stretching their lead to, 15-10. Edgemon sent a kill just out of bounds on the next play to end the rally, but Garcia’s serve on the next play landed out of bounds, making the score, 16-11.

Littlefield couldn’t capitalize, as Ray sent a tip into the net, sparking a four-point rally for the Lady Eagles, who drew within one point, before Stumbo sent a serve short of the net, making the score, 17-15. A kill by Bownds was tipped out of bounds by Ropes and on the next play, Reyna sent a hit sailing out of bounds, pushing the lead to, 19-15.

Ropes would not lay down, as they rallied back to tie the set, as Schertz delivered an ace off of Hanlin, knotting the set, 19-19. Both teams missed a serve keeping it tied, 20-20, and Valdez was called for an illegal attack to put Ropes in front, 20-21. McNeese delivered a kill off of the block attempt by Bandy, and she followed it up with a kill that was tipped out of bounds by Garcia to put the Lady Cats back in front, 22-21.

Logan served up an ace off of Latta, but Schertz responded with a kill in front of Ybarbo to make it a one-point game, 23-22. Edgemon delivered a kill in front of Reyna and a hit by McNeese went unreturned by the Lady Eagles to close out set three with Littlefield winning, 25-22.

The Lady Eagles would battle back to take set four, 21-25, forcing a set five to 15 points.

Littlefield opened the final set on a, 3-0, scoring run, before Ropes took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, McNeese’s serve fell short of the net, making the score, 3-1. A save by McNeese didn’t make it over the net and Stumbo followed it up with a kill on the sideline to tie the set, 3-3, before she was called for touching the net on a tip on the next play, putting the Lady Cats back in front, 4-3.

Bownds sent a kill just over the back boundary line, but the Lady Cats responded with a kill off of Stumbo to remain in front, 5-4. Schertz was called for an illegal hit, but McNeese sent a hit into the net on the next play, making the score, 6-5. McNeese would respond with a kill off of Garcia, as Littlefield took a time out to discuss their strategy. Out of the break, a tip by McNeese fell short of the net, but Ropes gave the serve right back to the Lady Cats, as Luning sent her serve sailing out of bounds, making the score, 8-6.

Logan sent a serve short of the net, but Hanlin answered on the next play, dropping a kill in the back corner to push their lead to, 9-7. Stumbo was blocked by McNeese for a kill, but Edgemon touched the net on a swing on the next play and Ybarbo tipped a ball out of bounds, slicing the lead to, 10-9. The teams went back-and-forth until Stumbo touched the net on back-to-back plays for Ropes, pushing the Littlefield lead to, 14-12. Stumbo responded with a kill off of Hanlin, but on the next play, Bandy was called for a double hit, ending the game with Littlefield taking the set, 15-13, and the match, 3-2.

The Lady Cats will return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 6th when they travel to Denver City for a dual with the Fillies and Dimmitt Bobbies.

The first match is scheduled for 4 p.m.