BEARCATS DROP CLOSE MATCH WITH MANSFIELD

The Bearcat volleyball team fell to Mansfield 3-1 Monday night in a match that saw a continuation of recent closely played sets.

In the first set, which the Tigers won, the Bearcats trailed 8-7 after an ace by Ellie Smith, 13-12 after one by Farrah Stringer, and 15-14 after a Kaylee Ray kill.

Mansfield was able to get some distance only to see the Bearcats pull back to within 21-20 bur the Tigers scored the next four points and took the set 25-20.

The Bearcats controlled the second set from the outset, opening a lead as big as 13-7 to induce a time out.

A Vanessa O’Neal kill and one by Smith saw advantages of 15-7 ad 16-8.

Once the Tigers got within 20-15 the Bearcats took a time out and would go on to finish a 25-18 set win with the last three points an ace by Downs and kills by O’Neal and Smith (shown)

Although Lyddia Franklin started it with a kill, the third set would go to Mansfield by the same 25-18 score.

Franklin had another kill to make it 10-8 and one by O’Neal made it 11-9 again before Mansfield got some distance.

A Presley Walker ace and another O’Neal kill cut the deficit to 19-15 and Walker had a kill to keep the Bearcats in it at 24-18.

The final set was close throughout and required extra play for Mansfield to take it 27-25. It was tied at 3-3 after consecutive Smith kills, at 4-4 after one by Ray, and another by Smith gave the Bearcats the lead.

With Downs serving an ace the lead grew to 13-9 and an O’Neal kill had the Bearcats up 14-10.

With the Bearcats up five at 16-11 Mansfield took a time out but a Walker block on the point out of the break made it 17-11 and after a service break an ace by Walker had the Bearcats in front 19-12.

Mansfield chipped away to 19-16 before a Ray point and was at 20-19 when the Bearcat took a time out.

The Tigers would take the lead before O’Neal tied it with a push. Mansfield again went in front but the Bearcats battled back to lead 25-24 on an another block by Walker.

Mansfield took its second time out at that point and won the next three points to prevent a deciding fifth set.

The junior high match also went to the Tigers in two sets.

The Bearcats trailed 7-6 after an Evelyn Rogers kill and Jaymie Reed ace and went on to take a 12-6 lead but Mansfield took over the set, winning 25-11 with an Emma Fox ace being one of the few highlights for the home team.

The second set was tied at 3 on a kill by Pearcy and again at 4 and 5 before Mansfield opened a 10-6 lead interrupted by a kill by Caroline Diffe.

The Bearcats were down 19-13 after a Rogers kill and got it to 24-19 when a Tori Nichols dig led to a point and a Tiger attack error, but a Tiger kill ended it.

The Bearcats are back at it today with a trip to Perryville where both junior high and both senior high squads will play with a first tip at 4 p.m.