Lady Warriors dampen hopes for final season win for Lady Bulldogs
CENTERTON — The gym at First Baptist Church of Centerton was filled with both Life Way and Decatur fans with every bleacher packed to capacity, and rightly so for the Lady Warriors. It was senior night and the Life Way fans had their final chance to say goodbye to their beloved seniors.
After the celebration, the final battle of the season before the 2A West district tournament in Mulberry on Oct. 17 got underway.
The Lady Bulldogs served off the first set with four straight points, leaving Life Way stunned. A quick timeout by the Lady Warrior coach broke the Decatur streak and soon Life Way gained the lead for the first time. The Decatur offense went cold, allowing the Lady Warriors to amass enough points to take a 25-8 first-set win.
The Lady Bulldog team finally woke up from its slumber and began hitting back at the Life Way lead in the second set and took over the lead briefly before going back into its earlier slump. Life Way took the second set, 25-11.
The Decatur Lady Bulldogs regrouped and managed to stay up with the Lady Warriors throughout much of the third set. But a sudden four-point run eventually gave the Life Way Lady Warriors the third set win, 25-21, and the final match of the season in three sets.
The Decatur Lady Bulldogs varsity volleyball team finished the 2A West 2022 regular season in seventh place, ahead of Founder Academy, Eureka Springs and New School, with an overall record of seven wins and 10 losses.
The Lady Bulldogs will travel to Mulberry on Oct. 17 to participate in the 2A West district tournament. As of press time, no brackets had been announced. Go to the Decatur High School website at decatursd.com for more information on game times.