Third set goes to extra points
Heading into their last home game, the Sulphur Springs Lady Cats were looking to avenge a 3-2 September loss to Hallsville, but this time around, the Lady Bobcats swept Sulphur Springs 3-0 with the third set going into extra points.
With the first set at 4-1, a Brooklyn Burnside kill added another point, and later in the set, a block from Kinslei Smallwood made the score 7-5. Hallsville still remained in control of the set despite solid efforts from Kaslyn Hurley and Addisyn Wall as they scored kills. With a kill and an ace, Peyton Hammack lessened the Lady Bobcat lead to just three at 19-16. However, Hallsville would close the first set at 25-19.
Hallsville dominated the third set as they took it 25-10, Myssiah Dugan had a solid block early in the set, but Hallsville put on the pressure for the rest of the set.
It was quite a different story in the third set.
Sulphur Springs came out and took a 7-3 as Hammack made another ace, and Burnside’s block maintained the Lady Cats’ lead. Their lead slipped in the middle of the set as Hallsville took a 15-14 lead, but another Burnside block evened the set. A kill from Elli Kate Daniel retook the lead 16-15.
Hallsville again tied the set at 17-17, but Burnside would again come through with a block to take the lead. The set continued to be back-and-forth before Hallsville put it away 27-25.
Kills were spread evenly across the team, with Burnside, Dugan, Hammack, Smallwood and Wall each having three. Hammack stood out with her two aces and 13 assists. Parris Pickett had four assists as well.
On defense, Burnside was the leader with two blocks, and she contributed three digs as well. Pickett notched 15 digs of her own, and Hammack added 11. Those two combined for more than half of the team’s 51 digs.
The Lady Cats played Longview on the road Tuesday, their last district game. Sulphur Springs is a solid fourth place and have clinched that seed in the playoffs. Updates on their playoff schedule will be published in upcoming editions of the News-Telegram.