Lady Cats win wild match over Tulia, 3-2

  • BREAKING THE SERVE – Littlefield junior Libero, Emily Champion, breaks the serve from Tulia, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    BREAKING THE SERVE – Littlefield junior Libero, Emily Champion, breaks the serve from Tulia, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • GOING FOR THE KILL – Littlefield sophomore, Madison McNeese, leaps up for a kill attempt, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    GOING FOR THE KILL – Littlefield sophomore, Madison McNeese, leaps up for a kill attempt, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
  • KEEPING THE BALL IN PLAY – Littlefield’s, Brynna Ray, bumps the ball towards the front row keeping it in play as the Lady Cats look to go on the attack, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)
    KEEPING THE BALL IN PLAY – Littlefield’s, Brynna Ray, bumps the ball towards the front row keeping it in play as the Lady Cats look to go on the attack, during the Lady Cats’ match with the Lady Hornets on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym. (Staff Photo by Derek Lopez)

The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team won a thriller over the Tulia Lady Hornets on Tuesday, 3-2, at Wildcat Gym.

With the win, the Lady Cats improved to 2-5 overall on the season.

Littlefield dropped the first two sets to Tulia, 19-25 and 15-25 on Tuesday, but they did not roll over.

Sophomore, Madison McNeese, delivered a kill to open set three and Hannah Ballejo followed it up with an ace, before McNeese sent a hit out of bounds on the next play to make the score, 2-1.

Junior, Ashtyn Parker, hit the foul pole with her hit on the next play and the Lady Hornets delivered consecutive kills to take a, 2-5, lead over the Lady Cats. McNeese sent a kill out of bounds to push the lead to, 2-6, and Allie Ramirez had a kill tipped out of bounds by the Lady Cats to make the score, 2-8.

Junior, Danielle Zapata had her tip blocked by Allie Ramirez, as the Lady Cats took a time out to talk things over, trailing Tulia, 2-9.

Out of the break, Parker dropped in a kill in front of the Tulia blockers and Jeslyn Chasco hit a ball out of bounds on the next play to trim the lead to, 4- 9. McNeese scored a kill off of Makayla Ramirez and Parker tipped the net with her serve for an ace to cut the lead to three points, 6-9.

Ellie Lopez hit a ball over the back line out of bounds to end the run, but she responded with a kill off of Jaedyn Chasco to regain the serve for Littlefield. Allie Ramirez delivered a kill off of junior, Emily Champion, but Jeslyn Chasco was called for a carry on the next play to make the score, 8- 11

Ȧ dig by Makayla Ramirez was killed at the net by Zapata and a hit into the net by Allie Ramirez on the next play made it a one-point game, 10-11, as Tulia took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Brynna Ray’s serve was hit out of bounds by Tulia to tie the set, 11-11. However, her next serve sailed out of bounds, giving the serve back to the Lady Hornets.

Littlefield scored a kill off of the serve by Zoe Balderas, but the Lady Hornets answered with a tip for a kill to regain the lead, 12-13. Senior, Samira Medina, scored a kill off of Karee White to tie the set for Littlefield, but McNeese was blocked on the next play by Marti Ramirez for a kill to give the serve back to Tulia.

The back-and-forth match continued, as Parker tipped the net for a kill to regain the serve for Littlefield. Jeslyn Chasco and White hit back-to-back balls into the net for Tulia and McNeese followed it up with a kill off of the break by Jeslyn Chasco, pushing their lead to, 17-14, as the Lady Hornets took another time out.

Out of the break, McNeese delivered a kill, but the run ended when Parker was blocked by White for a kill, making the score, 18-15. Parker hit a ball into the net for Littlefield and McNeese hit a ball out of bounds, as they took a time out with their lead cut to just one point, 18-17.

Out of the break, Allie Ramirez tipped the net for a kill, but Makayla Ramirez’s serve on the next play did not make it over the net, making the score, 19-18, as the serve went back to Littlefield.

Marti Ramirez dropped in a kill for Tulia, but McNeese answered with a kill off of the set by Zapata and a hit by Lopez was returned out of bounds by Allie Ramirez making it a two-point Lady Cat lead, 21-19.

Senior, Geyah Garza, tipped the net for a kill for Littlefield, but Lopez hit a ball into the net on the next play, making the score, 22-20. After several miscues by both teams, Littlefield closed out the set, 25-23, after a kill by Jaedyn Chasco sailed out of bounds, giving the Lady Cats new life.

Garza’s opening serve in set four fell short of the net, but McNeese responded with a tip for a kill to tie the set, 1-1. Tulia recorded back-to-back points, before a hit by Marti Ramirez sent back-to-back hits into the net, tying the set, 3-3.

Littlefield fell behind again, but would tie the set a few plays later, as a hit by Lopez was saved by Jaedyn Chasco, but the Lady Hornets couldn’t get it over the net, making the score, 6-6. Jaedyn Chasco responded with a kill for Tulia, before Balderas’ serve fell short of the net keeping the set tied, 7-7.

Champion served up an ace for Littlefield off of Cesi Arellano and her next serve went unreturned, as they took a time out leading the Lady Hornets, 9-8. Out of the break Ray was called for a carry, but Medina answered with a kill off of Arellano and McNeese followed it up with a tip for a kill to stretch their lead to, 11-9.

Garza served up back-to-back aces for the Lady Cats, as Tulia took a time to talk things over, trailing Littlefield, 13-9. Out of the break, Medina scored a kill off of Balderas, but on the next play, McNeese had her tip blocked by Marti Ramirez for a kill, trimming the lead to, 14-10.

Parker sent a kill over the back line out of bounds on the next play, but McNeese answered with a tip for a kill, making the score, 15-11. After another kill by Parker that sailed out of bounds, a kill by McNeese was tipped out of bounds by Makayla Ramirez and Allie Ramirez hit a ball into the net on the following play to make the score, 17-12.

Marti Ramirez sent a kill over the back line, but the scoring run ended for Littlefield when Allie Ramirez scored a kill off of Parker, making the score, 18-13. Littlefield recovered with a kill and McNeese followed it up with an ace before sending her next serve short of the net, making the score, 20- 14.

The Lady Cats scored back-to-back points, before Ray sent a serve short of the net, trimmig the lead to, 22-15. Each team was called for four hits and Garza sent a kill out of bounds, making the score, 23-17. A hit into the net by Medina for Littlefield was followed by a serve short of the net from Arellano, making the score, 24-18.

Tulia tipped the net for a kill, but Littlefield would close out the set on the next play, as Parker had a hit tipped out by Jaedyn Chasco, to take the set, 25-19, forcing a deciding set five.

Set five was neck-and-neck for the majority of the set, but after a Littlefield time out, Makayla Ramirez sent a serve out of bounds, and Jeslyn Chasco was blocked by McNeese and Lopez for a kill to make the score, 13-10.

Jeslyn Chasco scored a kill for Tulia, but that would be as close as they got, as Lopez answered with a kill and McNeese tipped the net for an ace on the next play to close out the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.

The Lady Cats will be at River Road on Tuesday to take on the Lady Cats.

The first set is set to begin at 6 p.m.