BEARCATS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH WINS

With a pair of double-digit scoring runs to end the first two sets, the Bearcat volleyball team made it back-to-back straight set wins with a 3-0 sweep of West Fork yesterday at Bearcat Gymnasium.

Early in the first set Kylie Lunsford and consecutive kills and Ellie Smith had another before Kaylee Ray threw one down in a vacant area. It would be 11-4 when West Fork took a time out.

The Tigers got back to within 12-8 but it was 16-8 with Lyddia Franklin sandwiching aces around another point and then 21-11 after consecutive kills by Smith.

The Bearcats won the first set 25-11 with Ray serving for the final seven points of the set.

Ray returned to the service line to start set two and delivered three straight aces. The Bearcats (2-2, 1-0) were in control the entire set.

West Fork finally broke serve at 4-0 – ending the 11 straight points with Ray on the service line. But that would not be the longest run by the Bearcats.

A Franklin ace and a kill by Cameron Parish had the Bearcats up 8-2 and consecutive points on a Lunsford ace and Smith kill made it 13-3.

It was 13-5 when Smith went back to serve, 16-5 when West Fork asked for a play stoppage, which Smith followed with an ace. A kill by Parish made it 19-5.

At 20-5 Vanessa O’Neal took the floor for the first time during the night and stayed there through the end of the 25-5 set.

The third set was more competitive, ending 25-21 on consecutive kills by Presley Walker and Parish.

Ray slammed one down for a tie at 1-1 and the lead was a narrow one throughout until Farrah Stringer (shown setting) went to serve at 8-7, delivered an ace, and stayed on the line through a lead of 11-7.

The lead would reach 15-9 but after a time out, West Fork broke serve and went on a run of its own to tie it at 15.

Lunsford ended the run with a kill and, after a tie at 17, the Bearcats scored four straight, capped by a Franklin ace, and it was still a four point cushion at 23-19 when West Fork got consecutive kills before a side out on the Walker kill.

The Bearcats next take for floor Thursday when they host Lincoln.

Junior High

The junior high match also went to the Bearcats – their third straight – though it would take three sets, and an extended third set to 25.

Brooklyn Phillips dominated the deciding set. She had a kill to make it 3-0 and started a service run with a pair of aces at 9-3 and 10-3. She had another kill at 14-8 before one by Taylor Villarreal made it 15-8.

After a discussion by game officials it was decided the third set must be to 25.

The Bearcats would run the lead to 18-10 on a pair of Villarreal kills and another by Phillips.

A kill by Addison Elmore had the Bearcats up seven and it was six a couple of times prompting a time out.

Villarreal scored on an attack and Elmore had an ace to make it 23-15 and would win it on another ace.

An ace by Caroline Diffee tied the second set at 3-3 before Phillips got one to fall for the first Bearcat lead of the day and the Bearcats held serve through 8-3.

It was 13-6 after an ace by Elmore and she held serve through 15-6. An ace by Tori Nobles made it a double digit lead at 18-8 and she had another to make it 20-8 and a third for a 22-8 lead. Nobles held serve through 23-8 before a 25-12 win.

West Fork scored the first four points of the match and eventually led 7-1 but led just 9-7 after an Emma Fox kill.

The Tigers extended it to 19-13 before the Bearcats would climb back to within 24-21 on a Phillips kill before cutting finally to two, but West Fork got the one point it needed to win the set 25-22.

The Jr. Bearcats will also host Lincoln on Thursday.