Lady Bulldogs go three-for-three in three days of volleyball action

Three days, three games, three wins ... the Haxtun Lady Bulldogs are on a three-game winning streak following victories over Holyoke, Eads and Stratton last week. The team holds a 3-2 overall record going into a week-long break in volleyball action.

The gym in Haxtun was electric in true Phillips County showdown action Thursday as the Lady Bulldogs hosted the Lady Dragons from Holyoke. A close first set kept fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning as the Lady Dragons took a 26-24 win. The Bulldogs took sets two and three, 25-15 and 25-20, respectively, to force the Lady Dragons to battle to keep the contest alive. Holyoke did just that with a close 25-23 fourth set but the fifth and final was all Haxtun as the Lady Bulldogs upset the Lady Dragons 15-10 for the win.

As a team, Haxtun put down 48 kills throughout the five-set win over Holyoke led by senior Allie Thompson with 15. Senior Taylor Schram added 13 kills followed by freshman Bobbi Starkebaum with eight and junior Cassidy Goddard with six.

The Lady Bulldogs racked up 19 total blocks at the net led by Thompson with nine and Goddard with seven. Thompson earned her nine from two solo and seven assisted blocks while Goddard tallied one solo block and six assisted.

Sophomore Megan Walker registered three aces from behind the service line, the team high. Schram and Thompson each added one.

At the setter position, Thompson and Schram combined for 36 sets against Holyoke; Schram led with 19 followed by Thompson with 17.

In the back row, senior K'lyn Bornhoft racked up 24 digs throughout five sets. Schram dug up 13 and Thompson had 12. On serve receive, senior Ella Coffin tallied 24 successful passes followed by Walker with 22 and Bornhoft with 13.

Saturday's action found the Lady Bulldogs on the road to Stratton for a day of battle with the Eagles. Haxtun played Stratton/Liberty and Eads in triangle action, best of three. The Lady Bulldogs came out on top, taking each contest in just two sets.

The Lady Bulldogs took down the Lady Eagles from Stratton/Liberty 25-23 and 25-18 and the Lady Eagles from Eads, 25-11 and 25-10.

Haxtun combined for a total 46 kills throughout the two contests on Saturday. Thompson slammed 23 kills in four sets of action while Goddard and Schram each put down seven. The team tallied seven blocks, four against Eads and three in the Stratton contest. Thompson led in blocks with four of the team's seven.

Grace Gibson and Bornhoft combined for six serving aces on the day; each putting down three. As a team, the Lady Bulldogs registered nine aces from behind the serving line in Stratton on Saturday.

The Schram/Thompson setting duo combined for 42 assists on the day; 24 from Schram and 18 from Thompson.

The Lady Bulldogs registered 57 passes on serve receive and 75 digs on defense in four sets of action against two Lady Eagles teams.

As it stands at press time, Thompson sits in the number two spot in the State for kills throughout all five classifications. Schram holds the 13th spot in the State in assists.

The Lady Bulldogs are off this week and will need it to prepare for a busy schedule the following week as they are set for a Tuesday, Sept. 7 afternoon match up with Flagler and a Saturday, Sept. 11 tournament with Simla, Estes Park and Holyoke in Brush.