ELKINS — In the final conference matchup of the 2016 season, the Decatur senior girls traveled southeast to take on the Elkins Elks in the gym at Elkins High School on Oct. 13.
Elkins retained its number four slot in the 3A North conference, while the loss to Prairie Grove bounced the Bulldogs out of fifth place into the sixth position going into this match.
As has been the case all season, Decatur started slowly, falling behind Elkins in the first two sets, 25 to 9 and 25 to 10.
After a good pep talk by Jessi Castagna, Decatur volleyball coach, the Bulldogs came back in the third set to take as much as a seven-point lead in the opening minutes of play. After a timeout by the Elkins coach, the Bulldogs began to lose their momentum and the Elks fought back to within two points at the halfway mark in the set. Then Elkins found its second wind and overtook the lead from Decatur.
Nine points later, the Elkins Elks made the 25th point to win their final match of their regular season, 25 to 16.
For the Decatur Bulldogs, this loss was a bittersweet end to a tough season. At times, the Bulldogs played brilliantl and hard-hitting volleyball against some of the toughest and more experienced teams in the 1A/4A volleyball conference, including a win against Lincoln in early September.
The Decatur Bulldogs will travel to Green Forest Oct. 17 to play in the 3A North district tournament. Decatur needs to win one match to go to the state 3A tournament later in the week.
As for the regular season, Decatur finished 2 and 13 in conference play and 2 and 15 overall.
In other Decatur-Elkins matches, the Elks' junior high team defeated the Decatur junior high B team in two out of three sets. Decatur claimed victory in set one, 25 to 14. Elkins took set two and the tie breaker, 25 to 16 and 15 to 9.
The Elks' junior high team defeated Decatur junior high in two straight sets, 25 to 14 and 25 to 23.
Sports on 10/19/2016