Tigers win valley match

The Saratoga Lady Panthers (1-2) gave the Encampment Lady Tigers (2-1) a run for their money September 17 in the Saratoga gym.

The match went to four sets with the Lady Tigers coming out on top with three set wins, but not without a lot of work to get past the Lady Panthers defense. The conference match was the third southwest conference match for both teams and the Tigers walked away with 21-25, 25-22, 20-25 and 20-25 scores.

"The girls have grown tremendously already this season. As a coaching staff, we are incredibly proud of them for their willingness to do what is best for the team," said Head Coach Janice Peterson. "They are adjusting to our coaching style and working hard in practice."

The first set was brutal for the Tigers as the Panthers had the home court advantage. Going into the match the teams both were holding one win and won loss in the conference, each team winning against newcomer Fort Washakie and losing to Little Snake River Valley.

The night would be a test of which cats were on top.

The Lady Tigers did not give an inch against the Lady Panthers as they took the lead in the very beginning. The Tigers were ahead 2-5 until Jordan delivered a kill that went out of bounds. Saratoga’s Allie Condict served up 4 points creating a tie at 6 points.

The Panthers fought back and held the lead until the score was 12-9. Once the Tigers figured out how serious the Panthers were, they stepped up their game and tied the score at 12. The Tigers didn’t stop there and kept the lead until they won the first set 25-21. Lots of exciting volleys took place during the set, as both teams were determined to claim the win.

At one point in the set Tiger Kristie Jordan hit the ball over Panther Cassidy Herring’s head and the ball was headed for the floor, when Panthers’ Condict dove in to save the ball and get it back over the net. Despite her valiant effort, the point went to the Tigers after Jordan delivered another kill.

In the second set, the first point was scored after a volley, when Saratoga’s Sophia Diaz blocked an attempted kill. The score was close with each team scoring alternating points. When the score was 10-7 with the Tigers leading, Panther’s Addie Collins went in for a kill and tied the score at 7 points. The Panthers were on a roll as during a volley Herring tipped the ball over the net and scored another point for the Panthers. Invigorated by the lead, Saratoga’s Josie Little blocked a kill, followed by Madi Johnson delivering well-placed serves in the Tiger’s court.

Collins blocked another Tiger kill and a timeout was called with Saratoga ahead 10-7.

After the timeout, Saratoga was inspired to win. With another kill by Saratoga’s Little and a block by Saratoga’s Herring, the Panthers were ahead 17-12.

The teams alternated points again and the Tigers closed the gap when the Panthers reached 20 points on the scoreboard. Saratoga’s Little is not a tall person, but gains height when she jumps to hit the ball over the net. Tiger’s Savannah Fagan and Eckerly Pickett were ready and blocked her attempted kills and the Tigers caught up 20-17.

Panthers’ Collins stepped in with a block and the ball escaped Pickett’s hands. Pickett didn’t let that get into her head and scored another point with a kill.

“Our new freshman,” referring to Collins, “ has been a large presence at the net for us,” Love said.

The Panther fans were screaming with excitement as Collins out powered Encampment’s Kyenna Jackson with a kill, not an easy feat. The score was 22-19 with Saratoga leading.

Saratoga Libero Johnson sets up Maggie Elder for a kill, which slipped through Encampment’s Regin Stewart’s block. Sami Anderson dove to the floor to try and save the play, but missed it by inches. With the score at 24-20, the Panthers were determined to win this set. Another exciting volley took place at the net when Encampment’s Jackson sent a kill and Saratoga was unable to recover. Saratoga’s Diaz scored the winning point when she pushed the ball past Encampment’s defense. In the fan section, the Saratoga Football team went wild over the win.

In the third set, the Lady Tigers were focused after losing a set to the Lady Panthers. They just came off of a five sweep match in non-conference play the weekend before and they were not about to allow the Panthers to win. The Lady Panthers had a taste of winning against a Valley rival and they did not want that momentum to waiver.

Coach Love said she is impressed with the seniors on the Panther team this year as they have a desire to lead the team this season.

The score stayed tied until 7 points. The Lady Tigers roared to life and took over the set with their famous kills. They outscored the Lady Panthers by 6 points with most of the plays at the net. Pickett dominated the kills at the net until Panther’s Collins blocked a kill and scored a point.

The Panthers scored another point before the Lady Tigers returned the favor. It was like a seesaw as the Panthers scored two points and the Tigers scored one, with the Tigers keeping the lead. The Lady Tigers took off, leaving the Panthers at 13 points while they scored 6 points with a lead of 14-21.

The Lady Panthers clawed their way back and scored 6 points to the Lady Tigers 1 point. The Lady Tigers pulled ahead and won the set 20-25.

The Panthers and Tigers continued their battle in set four, alternating points. It was becoming apparent that Saratoga’s Herring is becoming more confident on the court and her blocks and kills are starting to add up for the Lady Panthers.

Coach Shayley Love agrees.

“Cass is showing confidence and doing well in her new position,” Love said.

This will be an asset to the Saratoga team as she is much taller than any player on either team. The set was tied until the Panthers took the lead at 12-9. The Tigers got the ball back when Saratoga’s Gillian Greed and Collins both tried to return the ball. It went awry and the Panther team was unable to save the play. They didn’t let it deter them and they continued to keep the lead against the Lady Tigers.

Despite the lead, the Tigers worked hard and tied the score at 15. The teams alternated points and the score was 20-22 with the Tigers in the lead. Despite a valiant effort by Saratoga, the Tigers won the game 20-25.

After the match, Saratoga senior Sophia Diaz said meditation and prayer helps her prepare for a match.

“I take a moment to sit down in a quiet place,” she said. Then the team comes together to pray. She also likes the music played during warmups as it helps calm her nerves. Diaz has been playing as long as she can remember and loves playing middle blocker. She felt the game was good.

“We had a few mistakes, but we will work on them,” said Diaz.

She said going into a game against the Valley rival takes a lot of mental preparation.

“We have it in us [to win]. I know we can do better,” said Diaz.

She was happy the team kept fighting and didn't get in a rut.

Coach Love agreed, “We missed way too many serves and have really been trying to focus on that. When our serving improves our serve-receives improve as well.”