By Chris Morgan
The Bryant Lady Hornets Junior Varsity volleyball team hosted the Cabot Lady Cabot Panthers on Tuesday night. Bryant surged to win the match, 25-19, 14-25, 17-15.
The Lady Hornets fell behind quickly falling back 0-3. Their first point came from a Lady Panther serving error, before the Lady Hornets scored four unanswered, featuring two aces from Emma Buiting. The Lady Hornets would go on a 10-1 run, making the score 10-4.
Three straight aces from Erin Key set up the run, before a missed attack ended the spree. Cabot would rally to cut the score to 10-7 before a pass from Alyssa Hernandez connected for a tip from Ella Reynolds.
Three straight Cabot errors allowed the Lady Hornets to re-extend the lead to 14-7. The Lady Panthers would then have a 6-1 swing bringing the game to two points at 15-13.
Cabot committed back to back passing errors allowing the Lady Hornets the opportunity to pull away again. Both teams would trade points and the Lady Hornets were first to reach game point from an ace by Olivia German. Bryant won the match from a backwards returned ball by German.
Cabot gave up the first point in game two on to a cross-over foul. Following a Bryant serving error, Lexi Feagan delivered a kill. The Lady Panthers would pick up a kill and, on the following rally, a number of misplaced passes allowed them to tie the game 3-3.
What appeared to be a Lady Hornet pass just cleared the top of the net falling and catching the Lady Panthers defense off guard giving the Lady Hornets the advantage 4-3. After a Lady Hornet serving error and back to back double hit fouls the Cabot held a 6-4 edge.
The Lady Panthers followed with six straight aces, aided by a Bryant attacking error and a crossover foul expand the score to 14-6. The Lady Hornets struggled for the rest of game two as two Cabot blocks put the Lady Panthers past the 20-point mark. The Lady Hornets would score eight more points in the game but a cross over foul won the game for the Lady Panthers.
After pulling out to a 2-0 lead with a kill from Shaylee Carver and an ace from Erin Thompson, the Lady Hornets gave up their first point due to a miss communication. The Lady Panthers went on to take the lead 4-3 before a substitution error gave a free point to the Lady Hornets.
Following a Cabot passing error both teams traded points to an 11-10 score. Hernandez set the ball to Key, who tipped the ball, pushing the Lady Hornets up 13-10.
On the next ball, Hernandez attempted a kill, but the Lady Panthers blocked the attempt and the returned ball was rebounded and then killed by Key to set up match point 14-10.
After a block by Cabot, the Lady Hornets committed three straight errors to tie the game 14-14. A Lady Panther ace gave Cabot match point, forcing the Lady Hornets to regroup with a timeout.
On a Cabot error the match was tied 15-15. Thompson delivered an ace to put the Lady Hornets back at match point. A pass from Lexi Brown connected with Ivory Russ for the final kill.
The Lady Hornets junior varsity faces off in North Little Rock next Tuesday night.
