MAUD - With their 14-game winning streak on the line, Sulphur Bluff hit the road Tuesday to face Maud in their 10th district game of the season. The Lady Bears have been on fire as of late, almost going two full months since their last loss, which came Saturday, Aug. 21 at the hands of Leonard.
This was the second match between Sulphur Bluff and Maud this season, the first of which was Friday, Sept. 17 at Sulphur Bluff. The Lady Bears had a dominating performance their first time around, winning in straight sets by scores of 25-7, 25-14 and 25-11.
With the game being in Maud this time around, the Lady Bears knew they would have a tougher time on their hands, but they still got off to a solid start. Not quite as dominate as their 25-7 start in the first match, Sulphur Bluff was still able to take the opening set by double-digits, winning 25-13.
In the second set Maud had their best set of the entire series, avoiding a double-digit loss for the first time. Things were much closer, but the Lady Bears still managed to hold on to a 25-19 win.
Looking to put the game away early, Sulphur Bluff found the same success they had their first time around, putting the set away easily. Even with the game being on the road, the Lady Bears took the final set 25-12 to finish their straight set win and finish off their twogame sweep over Maud in the season series.
“We have been excited to start this second round of district, so the girls have been playing well together,” head coach Lacie Jessup said. “They are eager for playoffs!”
Coming off a 15-kill performance in their last match, Skylar Stanley once again led the way for Sulphur Bluff, finishing with a team-high 12 kills. She also had five of the teams seven blocks, as well as five digs, two aces and two assists. Behind her was Tori Raine who had six kills and six digs.
Kaitlyn Brock had yet another strong showing, as she was responsible for 20 of the team’s 23 assists and five of the team’s 10 aces. She also had six digs, one block and one kill.
Lydia Drummond led the team in digs with nine, as Taylor Wallis was right behind her with eight. Drummond also had four kills, an assist and an ace, while Wallis had a pair of aces.
The win makes Sulphur Bluff 21-6 on the year and improves them to 10-0 in district play, as well as extends their wining streak to 15 games. The Lady Bears have not only won 15 consecutive games, but have also won 44 of their last 46 sets.
Coverage of their Friday match against Linden-Kildare will be published in Wednesday’s edition of the News-Telegram. The Lady Bears will look to continue their impressive winning streak in their final three games of the season.