Lady Bulldogs Take First - Again
Author: Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter
Lady Bulldogs take first — again
By Eliza McLaughlin, reporter
After topping the ranks all season long, the Lady Bulldog volleyball team took first at the Class B Souther 5B District tournament in Manhattan on Oct. 27 and 28.
Townsend’s first match was against the Sweet Grass Sheepherders Thursday, Oct. 27. Eager to get to the next round, the Lady Bulldogs made sure to stay well-ahead of the Sheepherders during their three set sweep in 25-16, 25-12 and 25-10.
Throughout the course of the match, the Lady Bulldogs put a stop to shot after shot from the Sheepherders, totaling 72 digs. Luci Horne earned the most at 19, followed closely by Trinity Wilson with 18. Alleigh Burdick and Emily Bird were next with 14 and nine respectively.
The Lady Bulldogs’ defense also took place at the net with eight successful blocks against Sweet Grass. Sienna Everett led with 2.5, followed by Haven Vandenacre with 2 and Wilson with 1.5. Both Reese Wolfgram and Bird earned one block during the match.
The Bulldogs also excelled offensively with 30 successful kills during the match.
Vandenacre led the attack with eight kills, followed by Wilson and Everett with six each. Bird and Wolfgram earned three kills each, while Cassidy Flynn and Aspen Slyker each earned one.
The win over the Sheepherders secured the Lady Bulldog’s place in a semi-finals match against the Jefferson Panthers the next day.
The beginning of the match was back and forth with Townsend and Jefferson swapping short leads, however, the Lady Bulldogs were able to take charge and claim the first set 25-16.
In the second, Townsend wasted no time getting a few points on the Panthers before swapping the lead with them again. Neck-in-neck, the Lady Bulldogs got a step ahead at 19-18 when Vandenacre served five consecutive points, setting Burdick up to serve the final point for 25-19.
In another back-and-forth third set, Jefferson’s Panthers took the lead and claimed the set 25-17 over the Lady Bulldogs.
Townsend claimed the fourth 25-18, allowing the team to advance to the championship match, where they would once again face the Jefferson Panthers who battled back for a spot in the match.
The face-off, taking place in the evening of Friday, Oct. 28, had all the excitement one would hope to see in a championship match.
Like the teams’ previous stand-off, the first set started with the Panthers inching right along with the Lady Bulldogs. The Panthers’ Erica Shields got the serve and tied the score at 24. However, Vandenacre’s serves got it done 26-24.
Running with their momentum, the Lady Bulldogs claimed the second set 25-11.
The third set played out much like the first with close points early on and final serves from Vandenacre to claim the title 26-24.
Lady Bulldog volleyball returned to the Class B Southern B Divisional tournament in Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 11:30 a.m. against Forsyth. Check back next week for results!
IMG_2386: The Lady Bulldog volleyball team poses after with their trophy and bracket after winning the Class B Southern 5B district tournament on Oct. 28. (Eliza McLaughlin / MT 43 News)
IMG_2368: Emily Bird sets the ball during a match against the Jefferson Panthers on Oct. 28. (Eliza McLaughlin / MT 43 News)
IMG_2293: Alleigh Burdick passes the ball during a match against the Sweet Grass Sheepherders on Oct. 27. (Eliza McLaughlin / MT 43 News)
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