PRAIRIE GROVE -- The Lady Tigers prevailed, 27-25, in a see-saw second set on their way to a sweep of Gentry (25-18, 27-25, 25-11) in 4A-1 volleyball action Tuesday, Sept. 12.
"We're getting better. You can tell we're still young. We do freshmen and sophomore things a lot but we're continuing to get better," said second-year Prairie Grove coach Mat Stewart. "Gentry played well, they played better in the second set. We felt like we were on defense the whole time. They took advantage of that. That's what anybody in the conference is going to do if all you do is play defense. We made enough plays to get by that second set."
Prairie Grove jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the first set, getting an ace from Sophia Nunziato and Alisan Alexander's block-kill. Gentry hitting errors allowed Prairie Grove's lead to reach 9-3 before they settled in. Sophomore Madison Stanfill served back-to-back aces to pull the Lady Pioneers within two, 10-8, prompting a Prairie Grove time-out.
The Lady Tigers then fashioned a 9-4 run capped by Nunziato's ace to go up, 19-12. Junior Madison Ward struck for a kill from the outside hitter spot to pull Gentry within seven, 23-16, but the Lady Tigers reached game-point on freshman Lexi Light's kill. Prairie Grove then worked its offense with Light pounding a kill from Chrysten Wetzel's set to finish the game with a 25-18 win.
The second set was tied three times early before Prairie Grove edged ahead. The Lady Tigers used a 10-4 run to surge ahead, 15-9 on sophomore Jansen Williams' kill. Gentry fought back, getting kills from seniors Natalie Robinson and Hannah Boss, plus sophomore Ariel Nix to close within two at 15-13.
Prairie Grove maintained a 2-point lead all the way to 21-19. A key point went to Prairie Grove following a long volley. Prairie Grove freshman Kennedy Conrad was poised to go for a block. Gentry saw her and didn't get the ball over, making the score 23-20.
Gentry rallied with Chastery Fuamatu scoring on a block-kill, then pounding a kill off Ward's set. Falyn Cordeiro set for Robinson, who delivered another point for the Lady Pioneers. Gentry tied the score at 23-23, but Prairie Grove reached game-point at 24-23 on Ali Edgar's back-row kill.
Momentum briefly favored Gentry with the Lady Pioneers notching the next two points. Fuamatu's assist enabled Robinson to finish. Robinson was hot, getting another kill from Cordeiro's set as the Lady Pioneers reached game-point, at 25-24.
Gentry coach Courtney Millsap liked the teamwork Gentry displayed.
"We did a lot of good things. We had great communication. We moved our feet," Millsap said. "I'm proud of our girls. It's been an uphill climb. I'm ready for it to be downhill."
The Lady Pioneers couldn't finish, however.
Wetzel set for Williams to knot the score. Prairie Grove then scored the next two points to win the second set, 27-25, on kills by Nunziato and Emily Traylor.
Stewart praised the play of Nunziato, who dominated the action in the third set with Prairie Grove winning easily, 25-11, to post a 3-0 sweep.
"She's a natural outside hitter for sure," Stewart said. "But we need her in the middle. The last two weeks she's really figured it out and stepped up in the middle."
Lincoln 3
Gentry 1
The Lady Pioneers traveled to Lincoln on Thursday and lost three sets to one, winning the first set, 25-15, but losing the next three, 25-19, 25-17, and in a close final set, 27-25.
Sports on 09/20/2017