Lady Lions overwhelm Decatur in final regular-season match
DECATUR — In their final meeting of the 2017 regular season, the Lady Lions traveled to Decatur to take on the Lady Bulldogs in a conference volleyball match at Peterson Gym Oct. 4. Decatur put up a good fight but, in the end, Gravette took the victory in three straight sets and the conference win.
The Lady Lions came into the contest 9-1 in the 1A/4A conference race, just behind first-place Shiloh Christian. The Lady Bulldogs have yet to win a conference contest.
Gravette quickly established its dominance in the first set, putting down the Lady Bulldogs, 25-7.
The Lady Bulldogs rebounded in the second set, keeping pace with the Gravette team in the early going. However, a series of simple errors gave Gravette the advantage and it also took the second set, 25-15.
Decatur once again grabbed the lead in the opening portion of the third set. But that lead was short-lived as the Lady Lions regained their composure and control of the match. But the Lady Bulldogs were not going down without a fight, and they forced Gravette to work for every point.
As in past matches, Decatur engaged in several long and exciting rallies, bringing both Decatur and Gravette fans to their feet. The Lady Bulldogs began a run that brought them within striking distance of the Lady Lions. A quick timeout by Gravette coach Brandi Varner turned the tide in the Lady Lions’ favor.
The Gravette Lady Lions eventually won the third and final set, 25-13, and the conference victory, 3-0.
The Lady Lions increased their winning streak to 10-1, while the Lady Bulldogs dropped to 0-12.
Gravette 3, Elkins 1
The Lady Lions hosted the Lady Elks of Elkins on Thursday and took the match in four sets, with scores being 25-10, 26-24, 23-25, and 25-12. No stats were available for Gravette at press time.
The Lady Lions (11-1) finish their regular season by traveling to play Shiloh Christian (13-0) on Tuesday (after press time) and hosting Gentry on Thursday.