FARMINGTON — Driving state highway across Northwest Arkansas in Benton County, motorists may encounter Pioneers and Lions, the mascots of Arkansas 59 rivals, Gentry and Gravette, respectively.

On Oct. 22, the two schools took their rivalry into neighboring Washington County, battling for a state tournament berth in the first-round of the District 1-4A volleyball tournament. In a match that was closer than the three game sweep indicated, Gravette defeated Gentry, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-11, sending the Pioneers home.

“Gentry has gotten a lot better. I don’t think my girls were mentally prepared. We were kind of back on our heels when they hit us in the mouth right there at the beginning,” said Gravette coach, Robin Cannon.

Gentry led 10-5 and 12-7 in game one on a pair of Jordan Olds kills before the Lady Lions fashioned a 6-1 run to tie the contest at 13-all on Tori Key’s kill. Sierra Smith fought off a Gravette block to push the Pioneers back in front, 18-16, before a trio of aces from Keys sent the Lions ahead, 20-18. Samantha Curran caught Gravette off-guard by playing the ball over on the second hit to keep Gentry within range, 23-20, and an Olds’ kill made the score 24-22. A service error ended the game, with Gravette winning, 25-22.

Game two featured another nip and tuck battle with Gravette pulling away from a 15-15 tie. Lacey Newell’s block and Brooke Belts’ ace were followed by a Key kill and Gentry violation to earn the Lions a five-point edge, at 20-15. Haley Borgeteien-James’s kill helped Gentry close to within, 20-19, but theLions put game two away with a 5-1 run to prevail, 25-20.

“We did a great job fi ghting. There were a couple of plays and it could have gone the other way, it was that close in the fi rst two games,” said Gentry coach Daren Ward.

“Then I think my girls realized what they needed to do to beat a really improved Gentry team,” Cannon said.

“Their experience was the difference, them going to state last year. We had a decent game-plan, we executed it really well early,” Ward said. “They [Gravette] played lights out.”

Gravette wrapped up the match by surging to a 21-7 advantage in game three and won handily, 25-11, for the sweep and berth in the semifinals against Pea Ridge on Tuesday.

Sports, Pages 10 on 10/30/2013