Area Sports
Lady Knights win semifinal playoff
By JIM OTTS
Register Correspondent
WEATHERFORD - The No. 1 ranked Lindsay Lady Knights took another step forward Friday, defeating the Cross Roads Lady Bobcats in three straight to gain the regional volleyball championship match, but it was more toe in the water advancement than headlong plunge.
The Lady Knights won the first game handily, 25-13, then had to come from behind in both of the next two. They won the second game 25-22 after trailing 20-21 late and won the third after being behind 14-19 at one point and 19-20 near the end.
“This team had an up and down night,” coach Bridget Anderle said. “We came out in the first game and played as if we wanted to show what we could do, then played the next two as if we thought we had it made.”
In game one the Lady Cats kept pace with the Knight femmes through four service exchanges, primarily on the strength of their outside hitter Anna Cross, a sophomore. Cross had two kills early to help knot the score 7-7.
At that point Lindsay’s Kaylee Murphree stepped to the service line and the Lady Knights commanded by eight, 15-7, before she was done. She had four service aces during that run and teammate Kristin Martin blocked a Cross kill attempt and garnered another Knight point with a finesse touch into open space.
The Lady Knights shut down Cross. She had no more kills in the first game, none in the second and only three in the final game.
Martin had six blocks and eight digs to lead the defensive effort while libero Alyx Ethington pitched in eight digs from the back row. Taylor Atkins and Katie Arendt had four digs each. Murphree finished with four digs and two blocked shots defensively and 17 offensive kills.
Game two was a back-and-forth affair.
Lindsay led by three at 8-5 after a couple of service aces from Martin and later Cross Roads went up by a pair at 17-19.
Murphree took over with the Lady Knights trailing 20-21. Three consecutive kills took Lindsay to the front 23-21. Atkins drove one deep that should have been the 24th point but the line official called the ball out of bounds.
Another Murphree kill got the ball back with Lindsay up 24-22 and the senior striker turned server again to finish it off. Her shot to the Cross Roads backcourt was returned, but low and the girls near the net could not pick it up.
The Lady Knights struggled with consistency in the third game.
Rafter-rattling cross-court slams would be followed by botched returns and the two teams muddled along with Cross Roads leading most of the way.
The Lady Knights were down 19-20 when Murphree got to the service line once more. When Murphree was at the line, Martin's game picked up at the front and she sent over a pair of strikes that helped the Lady Knights regain control. Setter Brenna Mlinar, who had 28 assists during the night, accounted for one point with a finesse shot into an open area.
The game and match ended with Murphree, the kill leader, setting up a slam by Mlinar, the assist queen.
“She (Murphree) was steady tonight when most of the others were on and off,” Anderle said. “We have had a few games like this but this team does not quit. They just keep fighting.”
With the win the 34-10 Lady Knights reached the finals where they were to have faced the No. 3 rankedCayuga Lady Cats Saturday evening. Cayuga defeated the Evant Lady Elks in the other semifinal match Friday.
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