SPORTS
Nocona volleyball clinches playoff berth
The Nocona Lady Indians clinched the last playoff spot in the district with their win against Jacksboro on Tuesday.
It was senior night for the Lady Indians and the Lady Tigers made them work for it as the match went to five sets, but Nocona got things done in the end.
Nocona came into the match on a four match losing streak. With its loss to Breckenridge a few weeks back and the Lady Bucks going on a rampage the second round of district, the Lady Indians were in position Tuesday night where they could be kicked out of the playoffs.
The good news was Breckenridge was playing district runner-up Henrietta. The Lady Cats did not suffer an upset loss to the Lady Bucks like both Nocona and Bowie had in the most recent weeks.
Still, to avoid a play-in game and guarantee the final playoff spot, the Lady Indians would need to beat the Lady Tigers.
Despite the emotions of senior night and trying to shake off the four game losing stretch, Nocona was also missing a starter, setter/hitter Megyn Meekins who is out with a foot injury.
The first set was competitive for the first 30 points. Jacksboro was up 16-14, but had its lead increase to 20-15.
The Lady Indians fought back to cut the lead to 21-19 and stayed close down 23-22.
Unfortunately for Nocona, Jacksboro closed out the set on top by the narrowest of margin 25-23 to take the early lead.
The second set could not have been more different. From the start the Lady Indians got into a groove serving the ball and the Lady Tigers serve-receive was a mess.
The 10-5 lead grew to 14-6 and 18-7. Jacksboro never got into the set as Nocona won 25-11 to tie the match up at 1-1.
The third set was like the opposite of the second for the Lady Indians for the first half of it. The Lady Tigers lead grew to 14-6 and still was firm at 16-9.
From there Nocona came all the way back to tie the score at 16-16. It looked like that effort might go to waste though as Jacksboro then got a bit of a lead 22-18 heading into the final few points.
The Lady Indians came back again to cut the score to 23-22. This time though, it went into extra points and Nocona came out on top 27-25 to take the match lead 2-1.
For most of the fourth set it looked like the Lady Indians were on their way to close out the match. An early 10-5 lead shrunk to 13-12 before immediately going back up to 17-13.
Unfortunately, the Lady Tigers came back to not just tie but take the lead 18-17. With the teams tied at 20-20 and the final few points looking like it could go any team’s way, it was Jacksboro that won out 25-21 to tie the match up at 2-2 and force a fifth and final set.
It looked like it might be a tight fifth set with how the match had gone to that point. Curiously though, it went much like how the second set went for Nocona.
The Lady Indians scored the first seven points of the set. Any of the several point come backs the Lady Tigers had done in the previous two sets never came as Nocona easily coasted to a one-sided fifth set win 15-3, winning the match 3-2.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
The Nocona Lady Indians beat Saint Jo at home on Saturday morning.
The Lady Indians won 16-1 after four innings due to run-rule against the smaller school.
Nocona was coming off a competitive loss at Collinsville earlier in the week while the Lady Panthers were hoping to compete after a busy week of their athletes doing everything else besides just softball.
The Lady Indians easily won the first matchup between the teams in March, 19-2 and it was more of the same on Saturday.
Saint Jo struck first to start the game off well. Jordyn O’Neal hit a one out single. Krista Reeves followed with a walk after O’Neal had stolen second base and had advanced to third thanks to an error trying to throw her out. A wild pitch then allowed her to score to put the Lady Panthers up 1-0.
The lead did not last long. Nocona’s first two batters drew walks which set up Abby Hill to drive them both in with a single to right field.
Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Saint Jo’s defense did not allow another run. A line out and groundout to the shortstop while picking off a runner attempting to steal got the Lady Panthers out of the inning unscarred.
The Lady Indians led 2-1.
That was about as competitive as it got. In the second inning, Nocona’s bats got going. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases up with no outs.
Reagan Phipps drew a walk that drove in a run. Hill hit another two RBI single. Skye Kirby followed with a two RBI double.
After the first out, Allie Sutton drove in one run with a single. There was a fly out for out two, before a runner came in to score after a passed ball. Finally, an error allowed two more runs to score on the base paths.
Nocona had scored nine runs and led 11-1 to break the game open heading into the third inning.
Taylor Patrick hit a double, with O’Neal and Reeves following with singles. Unfortunately for Saint Jo, Patrick was thrown out before the hits attempting to steal a base so the Lady Panthers scored no runs from this.
The Lady Indians kept pouring on the runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases up with no outs. Tinley Cable then hit an RBI single. Shelby Swell was hit by a pitch that drove in another run.
After two strikeouts, Evelyn Marquez drove in two more runs on a double to put Nocona up 15-1, coming up one run short of ending the game early.
The Lady Indians scored that one run in the fourth inning. After Phipps drew a leadoff walk, Hill hit a triple that drove her in to end the game.
Nocona won 16-1.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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