VOLLEYBALL SENIOR NIGHT IS THURSDAY

Photo banners of volleyball seniors inside gymnasiums are commonplace. However, inside Bearcat Gym one could easily believe the entire senior class plays the sport as there are 13 of them.

Those 13 volleyball seniors start the home stretch of their final season tomorrow with the first of three straight home matches, prior to which they will be recognized on senior night.

The 13 seniors along, with two senior managers, will be recognized prior to the match with Elkins, who they beat earlier in the season, 3-1.

The 13 seniors are Natalie Miller, Meagn Reid, Brooklyn Elmore, Emily Suttles, Lizzy Gray, Teagen McMaster, Sara Ulmer, Camdyn Dove, Emma MIkles, Karmen Kent, Kalynn Horton, Heaven Herrera, and Laney Parrish. The managers are Bailey Davis and Lynlee Herrera.

The Bearcats come into the match on the heels of consecutive conference match wins in northwest Arkansas, 3-1 in Green Forest last Thursday, and a straight set 3-0 win in Lincoln (25-21, 25-22, 25-19) on Tuesday.

In the Lincoln match other than a Kent kill that tied it at 3-3 Lincoln was in front most of the early going.

The Wolves had their biggest lead at 11-7 but a serve into the net sent Ulmer to the service line.

Ulmer started her serve with an ace and by the time serve was broken – despite an acrobatic dig by Lilly Downs and another by Ulmer – the Bearcats had their first lead at 12-11. Parrish had a kill in the series.

Lincoln retook the lead after the service break and continued to lead until Ellie Smith broke serve with a kill and registered another to tie it at 16-16.

After a point trade Downs was on the service line and delivered a ball that had the effect of an ace for the lead then followed it up with two aces.

Out of a time out Kylie Lunsford put down a kill to make it 21-18 and Kent registered one to make it 22-20.

A Parrish return that couldn’t be handled got the Bearcats to set point and she had another kill to make it 25-21.

Early in the second set Mikles and Ulmer teamed up on a block for a 2-1 lea dthd the Bearcats led, though seldom comfortably, the rest of the way.

Parrish had kills at 5-3 and at 7-5 before a Dove ace made it a three-point lead, which was matched at 10-7 with an ace by Downs.

A deep kill by Lunsford had the Bearcats up 12-9 and sent Smith to the service line to drop in one Lincoln couldn’t handle.

Another block by Mikles got a point at 19-15 but Lincoln got the next two points before Mikles had a kill.

A Lunsford kill set up Smith to serve again and an ace had the lead at four again, 22-18.

Lincoln battled back to within 23-22 with an ace of their own before a serve into the net set the Bearcats up for set point.

After scoring the first three points of the third set the Bearcats were in charge the rest of the way.

A kill by Parrish made it 5-2 during a lengthy serve series by Lunsford, which included an ace and another MIkles kill to make it 9-2.

It was 12-4 when a Mikles return fell between Wolves and after a Smith kill and a Mikles block, the lead had grown to 15-4.

Head coach Bailey Stringer got Farrah Stringer and Lyddia Franklin, both sophomores, playing time before it ended.

Franklin was serving when a kill by Parrish made it 22-13 and it was 24-15 after Mikles added one more kill.

Lincoln was able to run off the next four points before it ended.

Tonight's lineup also includes games by the junior high A team and the JV squad.