VB: Lady Riders play for Consolation trophy
After capturing a pair of wins and a tie in four matches to place second in pool play at the Woodville Tournament, the Center Lady Rider volleyball team played for the Consolation trophy on Saturday before falling to Buna.
Center improved to 4-13-1 on the year after the successful play in the first day of action at the two day tourney. CHS stands at 5-15-1 after the tourney, with District 18-3A play just around the corner. The Lady Riders will now host Jefferson Tuesday night (9th,JV,V) at 5 p.m. and Tatum (9th,JV,V) on Friday night at 5 p.m.
CHS began play on Thursday with a convincing 2-0 whipping of Hull-Daisetta. The Lady Riders won the set by scores of 25-17, 25-10.
Center then posted its second consecutive straight-set win when the Lady Riders recorded a 2-0 win over Coldspring. The scores of the match were 26-24, 25-13.
Matches in pool play were only allowed to go a maximum of two games. Center picked up a Game 1 win over Colmesneil, 25-12, before falling 17-25 in Game 2 to settle for a tie.
Host-team Woodville then handed Center its only loss of pool play as the Lady Eagles won, 25-12, 25-15 late in the day on Thursday.
"I saw some good things on Thursday as the girls faced challenges and overcame some of them," said Center head coach Christie Benton. "We are really starting to grow as a team and I'm proud of the girls.
"It was a long day for the girls and you could see they were really working on improving every time they stepped on the floor."
Cassie Bush was one of the outstanding performers during pool play, posting 24 digs, to go along with 14 kills, eight blocks and eight service aces, Benton noted. Lacie Evans also performed well with 11 blocks, eight kills, seven digs and six aces.
Maria Valtierra recorded 25 digs for Center, to go along with a kill and eight aces. Elena Gonzalez produced 11 digs and eight aces, while Stephanie Rodriguez finished with 28 digs, four kills and three aces. Chakera Ingram produced 29 digs, to go along with two kills.
Center's Ashlyn Johnson picked up seven digs on Thursday, to go along with two kills and a block. Sykera Berry added 15 digs, while finishing with eight kills, a block and one ace. Michaela Schulz finished with six digs and a pair of aces, Requanna Patton came through with five digs, a kill and one ace and Kemi Cleveland tallied seven digs and a kill.
The Lady Riders lost in their first match of bracket play on Saturday, falling to Kirbyville, 9-25, 13-25. Center bounced back to knock off Diboll, 25-16, 13-25, 15-11 to move on to the Consolation round.
Buna then topped Center, 25-15, 25-20, in the Lady Riders' final game of the tourney.