Decatur falls to Ozark Catholic, Mansfield

Junior high A team wins its contest

DECATUR — With the 2022 volleyball regular season winding down, the Decatur Lady Bulldog junior high A and varsity teams squared off against two strong teams last week. Up first was a varsity contest against the Tontitownbased Ozark Catholic Academy Lady Griffins, followed by a match against the Mansfield Lady Tigers. Both contests were played at the newly renovated PetersonOwens Fieldhouse.

In the Lady Griffins contest on Sept. 26, the Lady Bulldogs were able to take the first set, 25-19, in an uphill battle. During the second set, both the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Griffins exchanged several long volleys, much to the delight of Decatur and Ozark Catholic fans. In the end, the Lady Griffins took the set, 25-21, over the Lady Bulldogs. The Ozark Catholic Lady Griffins took the remaining two sets, 25-19, 25-15, to claim the conference victory over the Decatur Lady Bulldogs.

Decatur barely had time to think about the loss the night before when the Mansfield Lady Tigers pulled into the parking lot at Decatur sports complex for the Sept. 27 conference matchup.

The junior high A was up first. Once again, Decatur and Mansfield fans witnessed two strong young teams battling it out for each point. When the Lady Bulldogs pulled ahead by two, the Lady Tigers came back and tied the contest and continued by taking the lead by two. Then Decatur came back and took over the lead once again.

This continued throughout the first set, with the Lady Bulldog A team gaining the advantage and winning the set, 25-21.

The second set came down to a 25-25 tie with either team needing back-toback points for the win. The contest hinged on a pair of serves by Daisy Fuentes, one of the strongest players on the young junior high A team. Fuentes’ fast serves slipped past both Lady Tiger lines for the 27-25 second set win and the match.

The varsity team was up next. In the first set, the Lady Bulldogs were unable to get any kind of offense or defense going and the team lost, 25-2. The Decatur Lady Bulldogs fared a little better in the next two sets but were still unable to get close to catching up to the more experienced Lady Tigers and Mansfield took the remaining sets, 25-11, 25-14, for the conference win.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Brooklyn Todd (11) spikes the ball back over the net and over the hands of a pair of Lady Griffins during the Decatur-Ozark Catholic Academy volleyball contest in Decatur on Sept. 26.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Heaven McGarrah spikes the ball back over the net into Lady Tiger territory during the Decatur-Mansfield varsity volleyball match at Peterson-Owens Fieldhouse in Decatur Sept. 27.