Haxtun Lady Bulldogs go 3-1 in tournament action at NJC Saturday

Fifteen sets of volleyball and the Haxtun Lady Bulldogs came out of a weekend tournament 3-1 with wins over fellow league and other 1A opponents the team will see later this season. Haxtun picked up wins over Otis, Dayspring Christian Academy and Caliche before falling in the final match-up of the day to Merino. The Bulldogs traveled to Sterling on Saturday for tournament play at Northeastern Junior College. Overall, the team holds a 4-3 record just two weeks into the regular season.

Haxtun opened the day with a contest against the Lady Bulldogs from Otis. The local ladies from Haxtun picked up wins two through four to earn the team's first victory of the day. Otis took game one, 25-12, but Haxtun bounced back for three straight sets 25-23, 25-18 and 25-22.

Total, the Lady Bulldogs put down 43 kills throughout four sets against Otis. Sophomore Maggie Kilgour led the team in the kill department with a total of 10. Bobbi Starkebaum put down eight followed by Megan Walker and Cassidy Goddard, each with seven. At the net, on defense, the Lady Bulldogs tallied four blocks.

Haxtun sent over nine aces, Walker taking three of those from behind the service line. Goddard and Emily Anderson each registered two aces. Anderson and Goddard took the highest serving percentages of the game, each serving 90 percent in the four-set win.

Junior Julia Freeman led in the back row with 14 digs while Walker added 10 for a combined 24 of the team's 54 against Otis. On serve receive, Walker registered 26 passes followed by Freeman with 17 and Grace Gibson with 13.

In the setters position, Starkebaum and Kelsie Hadeen combined for a total of 32 assists to Bulldog hitters.

Following a four-set win over Otis, the Lady Bulldogs moved onto a match up with the Lady Eagles from Dayspring Christian Academy. DCA picked up a win in set one but Haxtun came back in set two for a 51-21 victory. The Lady Bulldogs went on to win set three, 25-18, but fell 26-24 in set four, sending the game into a fifth and final set. Haxtun inched out a three-point, fifth set victory to earn their second win of the day.

As a team, Haxtun registered 51 kills against DCA. Three Lady Bulldogs picked up double digits in the kill column led by Starkebaum with 14. Kilgour added 12 followed by Goddard with 10. The team added five blocks at the net.

Behind the serving line, Haxtun racked up 17 aces. Goddard and Walker led the pack with four apiece followed by Gibson, Anderson and Freeman, each with three. The Lady Bulldogs served 87 percent as a team against the Lady Eagles.

In the back row, Starkebaum, Walker and Freeman led in digs, 12, 11, and 10, respectively. Walker added 28 passes on serve receive followed by Gibson with 22, Freeman with 18 and Kilgour with 13.

Setters Hadeen and Starkebaum led in assists; Hadeen with 18, Starkebaum with 12.

The day's third competition pitted the Lady Bulldogs against the Lady Buffs from Caliche. Haxtun swept their league opponent, 25-17, 25-20 and 25-19.

Goddard led in kills against the Lady Buffs, putting the ball down 13 times. Walker added seven kills followed by Starkebaum with six. Haxtun totaled 34 kills in the contest. On the opposite side of the net, the team registered six blocks on defense. Starkebaum tallied three of those six.

The Lady Bulldogs served 89.2 percent in the three-set win while registering 11 total aces. Walker sent over five of those aces followed by Goddard with three.

On serve receive, Walker and Freeman combined for 33 of the teams total 52 successful passes. Starkebaum registered 12 digs in the back row on defense followed by Freeman with five and Kilgour with four.

Starkebaum tallied 12 sets while Hadeen followed right behind with 11. The two setters combined for 23 of the teams 31 assists.

The final contest of the day saw the Haxtun Lady Bulldogs on the court with the Lady Rams from Merino, another league opponent. The Lady Rams took all three sets with a score of 25-11, handing Haxtun their only loss of the day.

Starkebaum again led her team in kills, this time with eight. Walker put down five followed by Hadeen with three. Total, Haxtun tallied 20 kills in the three sets against Merino. The Lady Bulldogs registered two blocks at the net.

In the serving department, Haxtun earned 78.9 percentage with just four aces. Freeman sent over three of those aces. Walker added the other.

Haxtun dug up 33 balls in the back row on defense and registered 65 passes on serve receive. Starkebaum led in digs with seven followed by Kilgour and Walker, each with six. Walker registered 19 passes on serve receive, the team high, followed by Freeman with 15 and Kilgour with 14.

This week the Lady Bulldogs are set to travel to Holyoke for a Friday night match up with the Lady Dragons. According to MaxPreps, the Lady Dragons enter the match up with a 3-3 overall record thus far this season. Game time in Holyoke is set for 4 p.m.