SENIORS CELEBRATED ON FOUR SET WIN ON SENIOR NIGHT

Senior night ran a little long but the 13 Bearcat volleyball seniors, as well as two senior managers, were not unhappy with the result on the night they were recognized, along with their parents.

Up 2-0, the Bearcats were taken to a fourth set by Elkins before claiming the conference match to remain in third place at 8-4 going into the final week of the regular season.

The Bearcats had a 25-24 lead in the third set and thought they had the match in hand on a ball down the line but Elkins got the call to tie it, then won it with one point ant the set winner coming on an ace to make it 25-27.

The fourth set was a dominating performance most of the way as the Bearcats, with Ellie Smith serving, ran off the first five points.

The run included kills by seniors Sara Ulmer and Karmen Kent and two aces by Smith.

Kills by Kent and Laney Parrish, another senior, got the lead back to five after two Elkins points and one by Kylie Lunsford and another by Parrish made it six.

An ace by Kent made it 12-4 and the lead would eventually be 10 after a series that included a kill by Smith, a return from Smith that handcuffed the Elks, another kill by Smith and a block by Ulmer that made it 17-7.

An ace by Kent and kill by Lunsford got it to 21-9 and senior Kalynn Horton came into the game.

After Elkins cut it to 23-14 the Bearcats thought they had a win on a kill by Kent but a rotation infraction caused another point before a 25-15 set win.

The Bearcats controlled most of the first set before settling for a 25-22 set win.

Back-to-back aces by senior Camdyn Downs had the lead at 15-9 and consecutive kills by Kent, one by Emma Mikles, another senior, and an ace from Lunsford had the lead 21-12 before a charge by Elkins.

An ace by Kent interrupted the charge momentarily before Lilly Downs finally broke serve with a ball that just cleared the net.

At 24-22 Downs prevented an ace on a lengthy point that eventually ended with a MIkles kill.

The Bearcats led the entire second set, opening an 11-5 lead on a kill by Parrish and two Kent aces.

Up four, with senior Teagan McMaster patrolling the back row, a kill by Lunsford, one by Parrish, another by Kent and two aces from Ulmer had the Bearcats in command at 20-11.

A Kent kill got it to 21-14 but the Bearcats would burn a time out at 22-15.

Smith registered kills at 23-19 and 24-20 before an attack error made it a two set lead.

Elkins led in the early going of the third set although there were late ties at 17 on a kill by Milkes, 18 on one by Smith at 21 on consecutive kills by Ulmer and Lunsford, at 23 on one by Kent and at 24 on one by Lunsford.

Lunsford made it 25-24 before the ball on the line and the two Elks points to force a fourth set.

The Bearcats will take part in a tournament in Paris on Saturday.

The Bearcat JV team will be home on Monday to face first year program Lamar and with the varsity team returning to the floor, also at home, against West Fork on Tuesday.