BEARCAT VOLLEYBALL POSTS THIRD CONFERENCE WIN

The Bearcat volleyball team survived their match in at Elkins on Tuesday, winning three mostly contentious sets after dropping a first set.

It was the third straight conference win for the Bearcats and head coach Bailey Stringer, who continues to tweak her regulars.

On Tuesday Stringer welcomed back Laney Parrish, a senior who has been out with an injury suffered just prior to the start of the season. She made her debut in the second set. Sophomore Farrah Stringer also returned to the floor more regularly.

Elkins took the first set despite the Bearcats building a 20-13 lead with a 6-0 run, prior to which neither team had led by more than two points.

The second set was more of the same although Elkins had an early five point lead before the Lady Bearcats had a key series that included a service break kill from Sara Ulmer and a pair of aces from Ellie Smith.

Elkins stayed within a couple of points most of the rest of the set until a key point included digs by both Camdyn Dove and Kent, followed by an ace from Dove and a kill by Smith to tie the match.

The third set would be the most lopsided though it was back and forth at the start.

Stringer started the game with the serve and the Bearcats got kills from Kent and Kylie Lunsford and never trailed.

Successive kills from Emma Mikles (shown), Lunsford, and Smith pushed the Bearcats into a safe mid-set lead they never relinquished.

Later Parrish volleyed into a vacant area of the floor and Ulmer delivered an ace for a comfortable seven point edge.

Down the stretch a well-timed ace by Kent and three kills from Smith, as well as a block by Mikles led to the Bearcats taking a 2-1 set lead.

Early on in the fourth set Elkins built a three point lead but Mikles and Parrish teamed up for a block to break serve.

Elkins led by a point at 10-9 after a service break sent Lilly Downs to serve. It was 14-10 Bearcats by the time serve was broken again. Lunsford, Ulmer, and Smith all delivered winning kills in the run.

An ace from Stringer extended the lead to five but Elkins made a run to tie it at 16, then pulled ahead at 17-16.

After ties at 17, 18, 19, and 20 an ace by Kent induced an Elkins time out. Out of the time out Elkins tied it then went in front 22-21.

But, Smith tied it again with a nice return and an Elkins return into the net gave the Bearcats the lead.

Two Smith kills ended the set at 25-22 and the match.

The Bearcats will make another trip to northwest Arkansas today to take on West Fork before closing out the first half of conference play with a trip to Hackett on Tuesday.