LADY CATS ONE WIN FROM STATE TOURNAMENT

Head coach Bailey Stringer and the Lady Bearcats are a single win away from punching their ticket for the Class 3A state tournament.

The Lady Bearcats opened the 3A West district tournament yesterday with a straight set win over Green Forest to put themselves in position to return to the state tournament field.

Because the two schools had met to close the regular season, the Lady Bearcats beat the Lady Tigers for the second time in a week, winning Monday's match 25-11, 25-13, 25-8.

Green Forest won the first point of the match but a pair of Karmen Kent kills followed and the Lady Bearcats were in control most of the rest of the way.

Kent had a third kill in the first game and Joleigh Tate also had three, including the game clincher.

Hayley Lunsford started the second game with four consecutive aces and after a kill by Kent, two by Tate and the first of four in the game by Lunsford it was 10-3.

By the fourth kill by the captain it was 16-8 and Camdyn Dove followed with an ace.

In the final game the Lady Tigers kept it close early leading at a couple of points and with ties at 3-3 and 4-4 before a pair of kills by Lunsford made it 9-5.

A block by Emily Mikles and an ace by Katelyn Spain pushed it to 12-5.

A kill by Mikles, one by Abby O’Bar (shown), two by Lunsford and another by Kent pushed the lead to 23-7.

It was a kill by Hayley Roberts that wrapped up the match.

West Fork earned their way into today's 5 p.m. game by eliminating Lincoln in straight sets.

The schools met on September 21 with the Lady Cats won in straight sets.