Dogs Edge Cards In Fierce Match

WAITSBURG - Both WP and Dayton showed up on Kison Court ready to play last Tuesday night, but Dayton had more en- ergy and took the win in four sets, 25-23, 25-27, 25-17, 25-17. The Lady Cardinals won the second of the four sets.

WP head coach Angie Potts said Tuesday night her team played well because they're work- ing better together on the court.

"They're playing as a team now, which I think is the differ- ence," she said.

The first set of the night was plagued early on with serving errors on both sides of the net. Bulldog Courtney Mings got in her fair share of kills in the first set while the Cards and Dogs remained close on the scoreboard most of the set. WP's Samantha Fedderson also contributed on her side of the net in kills for the Cards. As the score got higher, the points between the teams were not far, tying it up at 18-18, 19-19, 21-21, 22-22 and 23-23. And like the rest of the night, the closer the score got the more ruthless Dayton's McKayla Bickelhaupt be- came up at the net trying to smash as many balls onto the Cardinal side as she could. Bickelhaupt's efforts helped her team win the first set, 25-23.

At the start of the second set, the Cards came out a little tired. However, they quickly got their heads in the game and remained close to the Dogs on the scoreboard, and soon surpassed them. Right before the first timeout of the second set, the score was 8-3, Cardinals. The second set showed the Lady Cardinals re- ally have been improving with aces and lots of long volleys with the Dogs. The Cardinals had the lead over the Dogs that set until the 20-point range when Dayton made a comeback and fought hard for the win. A great hit by WP's Enendina Fuentes broke the 25-25 tie late in the set and then WP clinched the win, 27-25.

In the third set, it was clear the Cardinals were tired again at the start and were never able to catch up to the Bulldogs. The Dogs were out for revenge from the previous set and Madison Mings and Bickelhaupt ruled at the net hitting kills that the Cardinals couldn't answer.

Bickelhaupt was taken out of the game after she collided with a teammate, but was back in after she walked off any ankle injury. The Cards lagged behind the Dogs the whole set, giving Dayton the win, 25-17.

In the final set, the Cardinals perked up at the beginning and Fedderson put some major power behind the ball. They were tied at 4-4, and, 7-7, but after that, the Cards started to look tired from the nearly two hours of volleyball they had been playing. Without too much of a fight at the end of the set, the Dogs won, 25-17.

Dayton head coach Shannon Turner said her team had the edge Tuesday night because "we were better offensively." She said her team hit hard and played scrappy to win. She added that Waitsburg had improved since the first time they competed against each other this season.

"It was a fun, competitive contest," Turner said.

For the Bulldogs, Bickelhaupt had 21 kills and 20 digs. Jessica Tate had 27 assists, seven digs and went 13-for-13 from the serving line. Courtney Mings had 15 kills, seven digs and went 17- for-18 at the serving line. Chelsea Wooldridge had 18 assists and seven digs. Sarah Phillips had 14 digs and went 17-for-18 at the serving line. Madison Mings had 14 kills, five blocks, six digs and went 16-for-17 at the serving line. Bryeana Myrick had six blocks and three kills.

For the Cardinals, Jennifer Nichols had five aces and two blocks. Fedderson had 27 digs and 12 kills. Krystal Harris had 14 assists.