Saturday, October 24, 2015

SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke girls beat BPA at 4A-2 District

By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter

The Lonoke High School volleyball team finished fourth at this week’s 4A-Central District Tournament at Baptist Prep Academy. The Lady Jackrabbits lost 3-0 to Clinton in the third-place match on Wednesday, but qualified for the Class 4A state tournament with their 3-2 match win over the tournament hosts in the quarterfinals.

Lonoke received a bye to the quarterfinals of the district tournament. So the Lady Jackrabbits waited till Tuesday to play their match against Baptist Prep, who beat Riverview in the previous round.

The state tournament qualifier was back and forth the whole way, but Lonoke won by scores of 25-19, 15-25, 25-20, 22-25 and 15-9. Also on Tuesday, Lonoke lost a 3-0 match to top-seeded Southside Batesville in the semifinals. The scores in that one were 25-11, 25-19 and 25-17.

In the consolation match on Wednesday, which determined the three and four state tournament seeds, Lonoke also lost a 3-0 match, but it was much more competitive than the one against Southside.

Clinton won by scores of 25-23, 25-23 and 25-22, giving the Lady Yellowjackets the No. 3 seed for next week’s state tournament in Mena. Lonoke, therefore, will enter the Class 4A state tournament as the four seed.

The Lady Yellowjackets led by as much as 19-11 in the first game Wednesday, but Lonoke fought back and got within three of Clinton’s lead, with the score 21-18. The Lady Jackets then called timeout, and scored the next three points to set game point with the score 24-18.

Lonoke broke serve on the next volley with a kill by Kennedy White, then Jarrelyn McCall went to the serving line and served up the next four points to make it a one-point game, with the score 24-23.

Clinton, though, broke the Lady Rabbit scoring streak with the next point, ending game one in the Lady Jackets’ favor. Game two was much closer in the early goings, and Lonoke led 17-16 on another White kill.

Keiunna Walker then served the next two points to push the Lady Rabbit lead to 19-16. Lonoke also led by three with the score 21-18, but Clinton came back from there. The Lady Jackets broke serve on the next volley with a Caycee Lonnon kill, and scored the next five points to set game point at 24-21.

Lonoke broke serve on an Ashlyn Allen kill from the corner of the net, and Lindsey McFadden served the next point to make it a one-point game, 24-23. Clinton, though, got the next point to take game two by the same score as game one.

Clinton led by as much as 17-10 in game three, but Lonoke again battled back and took the lead at 21-20 and 22-21. The Lady Jackets tied the game and regained serving rights on the next volley, and scored the next three points to take the game and the match.

Kayla Shelton led Lonoke Wednesday with seven kills. Walker had six kills. McCall had five kills, and Allen and White had four each. Walker had a match-high seven digs. Gracie Mason led the Lady Rabbits with 10 assists, and Madison McFadden led Lonoke with two ace serves.

Clinton’s Lonnon led all players with 14 kills and seven ace serves.

Central Arkansas Christian won the tournament with a 3-2 win over Southside in the championship match Wednesday night. Scores in that match were 15-25, 21-25, 25-21, 27-25 and 15-9.

The Lady Mustangs will enter this Tuesday’s state tournament in Mena as the top seed from the Central. Southside is the No. 2 seed, Clinton’s the third seed and Lonoke will play the tournament hosts as the four seed. Mena is the top seed from the West, and will play Lonoke in the first round this Tuesday at noon at Mena High School.