Cardinals defeat Lady Lions

— Thunder rumbled and the Gravette Lions roared but in the end the Farmington Cardinals soared above the storm. With a downpour soaking everything outside Farmington senior Lexie Lewis took to the air to complete a final play and conclude her volleyball career with a kill.

The Cardinals girls volleyball team won game four (25-21) to stave off elimination, and Lewis’ kill gave them game five (15-11) to earn a tough conference victory over Gravette on Oct. 11. The visiting Lions threatened to spoil senior night for Farmington by winning games two (25-23) and three (25-17) only to see Farmington rebound.

Farmington won game one, 25-18. Brittany McManus served an ace and Lewis had a pair of aces as the Cardinals jumped to a 9-4 lead. Gravette stayed within 18-12 on an ace from Shyanne Nichols but the Lions could do no better than to trade points the rest of the way.

Prior to the match Gravette coach Robin Cannon said the Lions would have to work hard and put forth the effort by serving well andcovering the floor if they were to beat Farmington.

That began to happen as the Lions dominated game two in the early going. Destaney Wishon had a kill and a block and Jessica Bayley’s ace helped propel the Lions to a 10-3 advantage. Hitting errors and miscommunication hurt Farmington and Gravette went up 22-12 on a long hit.

The Cardinals fashioned an 11-3 run but couldn’t catch up. An aggressive hit by Breanna Jones was blocked but went out-ofbounds last touched by Gravette, making the score 23-21. Wishon’s next block was true and the Lions reached game-point at 24-21. Farmington got the next two points on a Jones block and Lewis kill but Jones was called for a double hit after a Gravette block. The Lions won 25-23.

In game three, Gravette broke away from a 7-7 tie with three kills and a block by Monica White and a pair of aces from Nichols to go up, 18-11, and went on to win 25-17.

“We just had too bad of a stretch in the beginning of games two and three,” said Farmington coach Jessica McCollough.

In game four, Farmingtontook their first lead, at 7-6, on a Lauren Blackburn assist to Jones. Gravette retook the lead, at 9-8, on a Cardinal hitting error. The game was contested all the way. There were ties at 10,11,12,14,16 and 18. Another Lauren Blackburn dish to Jones edged the Cardinals even closer making the score 23-18. A Lion service error pushed Farmington to game-point and Jones ended it with a block, at 25-21.

In the fifth and deciding game, Farmington surged out of a tie at 5-all with four unanswered points, getting an ace by Jessica Oliver sandwiched between two Gravette hitting errors.

Down the stretch Farmington got a Jones block, Tiffany Rhame ace and reached game and match-point, at 14-8, when Gravette couldn’t decide who was going to play the ball. The Lions got a block and kill from White before Lewis’ kill finished them off.

“Our seniors definitely wanted to go out with a win,” McCollough said, adding they fought and did what it took to win.

Cannon said Gravette didn’t play well enough to win.

“We played hard and made it interesting but theyoutplayed us in the fifth set,” Cannon said.

Gravette senior setter Shelby Frey said the Lions have worked really hard and are eager for post season play.

Lewis reflected on her career at Farmington, saying the program has come a long way.

Going into the district tournament which Gravette hosted on Monday and Tuesday and continuing tomorrow, the Lions were seeded third behind Shiloh Christianand Farmington with Prairie Grove fourth.

Cannon said she thinks the Lions are capable of finishing higher than their seeding in the tournament but will have to play lights out and have a clean game.

Sports, Pages 9 on 10/18/2011