ARMA — It was a case of close, but no cigar for Marmaton Valley Junior High’s volleyball A team Thursday.
The Wildcats went down to the wire in a pair of matches, losing both, to Liberal and Northeast middle schools.
Against Liberal, Marmaton Valley fell 24-16, 25-11 and 15-13.
“It was pretty even, but we got behind in the second set,” head coach Brenda Mills said.
Lexi Loweder had seven points and an ace, followed by Jacee Mattox with six points and a kill. Braelyn Sutton notched five points, two kills and an ace. Dani Deer had four points, two kills and an ace. Khiana Haynes delivered three points and two aces.
The Wildcats also came agonizingly close to breaking through against the host Vikings, but fell 11-25, 25-16 and 15-12.
Sutton had 12 points and an ace, while Lowder and Haynes each had five points. Deer had four points, Shelby Sprague three and Mattox one.
The Wildcats’ record falls to 10-6 with the losses.
MARMATON Valley’s B team was much more successful, rolling to a 25-11 and 25-12 victory.
Isabelle Berntsen, Megan Kilpatrick and Sutton each had seven points, while Kilpatrick had an ace. Sutton also had three aces and a kill. Haynes had four points, Emily Robertson and Mattox had two points each, Deer had a point and an ace. Lowder had a point and Mattox had an ace.
The win evens the B team’s mark at 5-5.
Marmaton Valley’s A team travels to St. Paul for a tournament Monday. Both squads will play one final time Thursday at home against Crest.
