Lady Bulldogs tame Wolves and Bobcats

The crowd packed in for the opening game of homecoming weekend as the Sundance volleyball team was looking to snap their losing streak, going up against the Moorcroft Wolves.

Both teams brought their crowd and energy in a critical conference matchup. The opening set found the two teams evenly matched going point for point.

With the score tied at seven, one side needed to start stringing points together to gain an advantage. It was the Bulldogs who struck first, behind the serving of Brook Hofland.

Scoring five unanswered points, the Bulldogs put themselves up 14-9. The Lady Wolves were down but not out.

Shortly thereafter, they were able to return the rally scoring as Kaylee Terry stepped up to the serving spot to get the Wolves offense moving and overtake the Bulldogs 18-15. The Bulldogs kept it close down the stretch but the Lady Wolves took the 25-22 victory. 

The Bulldog hard hitters came out for game two as the Wolves struggled to find an answer for seniors Ty Holloman and the Hofland sisters at the net. Throwing down a combined 22 kills on the night, the senior Bulldogs helped their team roll over the Wolves 25-13. The momentum continued for the Bulldogs into game three as they took another 25-18 victory.

With the Bulldogs up two games to one, the Moorcroft Wolves needed a victory in game four to have a chance pushing it to five. The Lady Bulldogs started the game strong.

Excellent serving by the Bulldogs got their offense moving while Zoe Skeens led the Bulldogs on the defensive end with 14 digs throughout the night. With a 18-11 lead, it appeared as though the Bulldogs may have this one in the bag.

Moorcroft coach Katie Williams called a timeout hoping to slow the Bulldogs' momentum. Sophomore Natalee Scribner then stepped into the serving spot for the Wolves and began a string of serves to pull Moorcroft within striking distance of the Bulldogs.

As the gap closed, the Bulldog hitters began to get too excited and struggled keeping their powerful hits inbounds. With the score tied at 21, both sides of the gym were on the edge of their seats watching the action.

The Bulldogs and Wolves traded points back and forth, neither gaining the two-point advantage they needed for victory. Pushing the game into extra points, the ladies found themselves tied at 27, each side hoping for the win.

Following several rallies back and forth, the Bulldogs were able to gain the margin of victory for a 29-27 win, snapping their losing streak and giving them a much-desired homecoming victory.

The winning was not over for the weekend as the Lady Bulldogs hosted a friendly foe, the Upton Bobcats, on Friday afternoon. Mirroring their games from Thursday night, the Lady Bulldogs struggled right out of the gates, dropping game one 18-25.

An evenly matched second game saw the score tied multiple times throughout. The strong hitting of Bobcats Jerrica Caylor and Alyson Louderback was no match for the front row as seniors Bailey Hofland and Ty Hollomon along with sophomore Lexie Marchant began to shut them down. These big blocks helped the Bulldog offense rally together for a 25-19 victory in game two. 

The final two games of the set continued to go in the Bulldogs' favor as they continued to hit hard and stop the Bobcats from gaining more than a few points at a time. Taking a 25-20 victory in games three and four, the Bulldogs walked away victorious in their homecoming weekend. 

The Lady Bulldogs now move to a 3-1 conference record 11-8-1 overall and will face the Tongue River Eagles in Dayton on Friday and host the Wright Panthers on Saturday with play beginning at 1 with the JV followed by varsity at 2 p.m.

Stats

SHS vs. Moorcroft: 22-25, 25-13, 25-18, 29-27

Zoe Skeens – 14 digs, 6 kills, 1 block

Briska Johnson – 4 aces, 9 digs

Ty Holloman – 3 aces, 5 digs, 9 kills, 4 blocks

Brook Hofland – 2 aces, 5 digs, 6 kills, 4 blocks

Bailey Hofland – 7 kills, 5 blocks 

Cana McInerney – 3 kills, 22 assists, 2 blocks, 1 ace, 7 digs

Lexie Marchant – 4 kills, 4 assists, 4 blocks

Ella Bifulco – 1 ace, 1 dig

SHS vs. Upton: 18-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20

Lexie Marchant – 2 kills, 3 assists, 4 blocks

Cana McInerney – 4 kills, 34 assists, 8 digs

Ty Holloman – 14 kills, 1 block, 2 aces, 13 digs

Brook Hofland – 5 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs

Zoe Skeens – 6 kills, 1 ace, 12 digs

Bailey Hofland – 15 kills, 4 blocks

Briska Johnson – 2 aces, 19 digs

Ella Bifulco – 1 ace, 5 digs