LADY CATS SPLIT MATCHES HEADING INTO TONIGHT'S MATCH

Head coach Bailey Stringer and the Lady Bearcat volleyball team completes a three match week today when they host Paris.

The Lady Bearcats were competitive against defending state champion Hackett on Monday but saw an effort to force a fourth set thwarted by a late Lady Hornet run that completed the straight set match.

Joleigh Tate had 14 digs, Hayley Lunsford added 13 and Katelyn Spain 11 in the Hackett match. Lunford had nine kills and Karmen Kent six.

At Elkins on Tuesday the Lady Bearcats bounced back to take the conference match 3-1.

After three sets the Lady Bearcats had scored the necessary 75 points to win the match but the Lady Elks had won the third set 27-25.

A block by Hayley Roberts closed out the Lady Elks in the first set and the second set included multiple kills by Abby O’Bar, Roberts, Kent and four by Lunsford.

There were also aces by Kent, Joleigh Tate and the clinching point was an ace by Jessica Cauthon.

Tate had three kills early in the third set and the Lady Bearcats led most of the set before a late rally by Elkins.

The final set saw the Lady Cats take a 2-1 lead on a kill by Kent – set up nicely by Lunsford – and another Kent kill as the Lady Cats opened a 5-1 lead.

A Lunsford Kill made it 14-7 and an ace by Camden Dove pushed the lead to 16-7.

The lead would fluctuate between five and six points most of the rest of the way until a dig by Lunsford turned into a point at 20-13.

An ace by Kent and a block by Tate pushed the lead to 23-13.

Elkins cut it back to 23-15 but a kill by Roberts and another by Lunsford, on an assist from Spain closed it out.