SENIORS STEPPING UP FOR BEARCATS

Bearcat volleyball seniors did not like how their season had started and decided to do something about it.

The Bearcats went into the weekend of September 7-8 with a 1-4 match record and came out of it embarking on a four match win streak before seeing that end last night in Paris.

However, in Paris the Bearcats took a set from the Eagles, becoming only the third team, and the only one in 3A to do so.

“They just got together and said we’re too good not to win,” head coach Bailey Stringer said of the seniors.

As Farrah Stringer noted during a post-game reel after a win over Waldron Monday, all seven seniors are contributing.

“All seven of them are playing varsity, which is rare,” Bailey Stringer noted. “Most were playing anyway and Emily Wooldridge has come on the last couple weeks and becoming a specialist at serving.”

Wooldridge had four aces and 19 digs in Paris. She also had an ace and 13 digs in a straight set win over Waldron and was perfect in serves in a match in Lamar.

Ellie Smith had 11 kills in Paris, including the third set (25-19) winner. She had seven in Monday night’s win, one of which is pictured. Smith also had a pair of blocks against Paris.

Lyddia Franklin had a consistent four kills in each match and Shelbie Myers clogged the middle for blocks and kills in each match.

Libero Lilly Downs had been a force from the back row as well with 49 digs Tuesday after 30 on Monday. Likewise, Rylee Haller has dominated her territory with a 21 dig night on her former home court.

That leaves Stringer who is always the first to serve for the Bearcats and the spark plug to the team setting, serving up a couple of aces here and there, and she had a half dozen digs in Paris.

There have also been plenty of contributions from the juniors as Presley Walker, Kaylee Ray, and Vanessa O’Neal have combined for eight and nine kills in this week's matches with Walker recording four blocks and a couple of aces as well.

The Bearcats will close out the nonconference portion of their season with a trip to Dover Thursday and will be home on Tuesday to face Mayflower in a conference match.

JUNIOR HIGH

The junior high Bearcats are also making noise, including taking a match in Paris last night, winning the third set 17-15.

Their third win in a row after wins over Magazine last week and Waldron on Monday, the Paris match was the fourth match to go the distance this season,