By Martin Couch
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant Lady Hornets freshmen started on a mission at North Little Rock, but[more] were stopped in a three-game set on Monday night 25-22, 21-25 and 18-25.
Coach Julie Long’s Lady Hornets battled North Little Rock for a 25-22 win in the first game. Kendall Selig started off the game with two kills, followed by a kill from Peyton Ramsey. Skylar Harper served an ace and Julie Ward hit a kill to keep Bryant up by two points. Harper tapped the ball over the net for a point, then Whitney Brown served an ace and Harper came back with a block point and an 11-7 lead.
Two mistakes by North Little Rock and a long service point won by Bryant thanks to two key saves by Brown in the backcourt. Selig made a kill and Ramsey had a tap for points. North Little Rock came back to tie the game on a few unforced Lady Hornet errors at 19-19, but a kill from Ward and Selig’s tip over the defense for a point and kill set up the game-winning mistake. Selig’s hit across court caused the North Little Rock libero to tap the ball twice with her hands, ending the game.
Bryant kept pace with North Little Rock in the second game with Ramsey leading the way on a kill and a dink to tie the game at 5-5 early on. Bryant took a one-point lead, but three straight outs put them behind by five. Selig, Ramsey and Sierra Jones all scored to get Bryant to within three, 12-15, but a net violation and an out of bounds call were coupled with two North Little Rock kills and a seven-point advantage.
Brown served an ace and Selig had two more kills, but the Lady Hornets could only get as close as four.
North Little Rock took advantage of hitting errors by Bryant to hold a 17-7 lead. Long got her team fired up with a time out and a conversation with the referee. Ward responded with an ace serve and Brown got a kill, but North Little Rock rallied to win on an out call from Bryant.
