Lady Tigers fall short at Lesterville, finish fourth in tournament

LESTERVILLE

The Houston High School volleyball team came up short in a hard-fought battle at Lesterville, losing in four sets Monday night.

Despite a strong start, the Tigers were unable to maintain momentum, falling 25-18, 24-26, 20-25, 23-25.

Junior Kayla Wagner led the team offensively with 20 kills and added 2 blocks to her stat line. Senior Morgan McKinney also made her presence known, recording 22 assists and 22 digs. Carli Cummins-Drake contributed from the service line with 3 aces.

Houston took the first set convincingly but struggled to find the same level of play in the following sets. The Tigers pushed Lesterville to the brink in the second and fourth sets, but the home team’s resilience proved too much.

“We’ve got to learn to find our grit again,” said HHS head coach Julia Sloan. “We are really struggling with being consistent and battling sickness.”

The Lady Tigers (12-9-2; 1-4 SCA) faced Gainesville at home Tuesday. The team will travel to the Pleasant Hope Play for Pink Volleyball Tournament on Saturday.

HOUSTON VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Houston High School’s volleyball team hosted a tournament Saturday at Tiger Fieldhouse, finishing first in their pool but ultimately placing fourth.

In pool play, Houston dominated Mansfield and Bradleyville, winning both matches in straight sets, 25-10, 25-11 and 25-10, 25-15, respectively. The Tigers also notched a win against Dora with scores of 25-8 and 25-15. Their toughest pool match came against Willow Springs, where Houston split sets, winning 25-22 before dropping the second 24-26.

Seeded second in bracket play, Houston faced Willow Springs again in a tightly contested rematch but fell short, losing 20-25, 26-28. The Tigers then battled Cabool for third place but were unable to secure a win, falling 19-25, 22-25.

“Overall, I thought it was a great day,” said Sloan. “We got another chance at Willow and even took a set from them. By the end of the day, our energy was gone. It was definitely a long day.”

Wagner led the Tigers’ offense with an impressive 56 kills on the day. McKinney recorded 48 assists, while Wagner and senior Makinley Aaron each posted 37 digs. Junior Gracyn McNiell added 36 digs, Cummins-Drake led the team with 11 aces and sophomore Summer Seago contributed 3 blocks.

LIBERTY

The team struggled in a home match against Liberty last Thursday, losing in straight sets, 23-25, 11-25, 13-25.

Wagner led the Tigers with 8 kills, while McKinney contributed 10 assists. On defense, Aaron recorded 16 digs.

THAYER

The Lady Tigers secured their first conference win of the season last Tuesday, defeating Thayer in a thrilling four-set match at Tiger Fieldhouse.

Houston picked up the win in four sets – 24-26, 26-24, 25-13, 25-23 – after dropping a back-and-forth opening set.

“It was a great team win,” said Sloan. “We came from behind multiple times and showed our grit. I’m super proud of them.”

Trailing 18-22 in the fourth set, the Lady Tigers strung together a 7-1 run capped off by a big hit from junior Kynlee Weaver.

Key contributors for the Lady Tigers included Wagner, who dominated with 26 kills, 32 digs and 3 aces, while Weaver added 3 crucial blocks. McKinney facilitated the offense with 25 assists.

“I thought Kayla [Wagner] played great,” said Sloan. “We are glad to have her back in the offense.”

“I really thought Kynlee played well in the fourth set. She blocked the ball well.”

During the match, players and coaches wore pink in honor of Pink Out Night – an event that raises awareness for breast cancer and remembers those who have fought the disease.

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