Lady Bulldogs cruising through league slate

Lady Bulldogs cruising through league slate

It shouldn’t be this easy, but the 2018 version of the Lady Bulldogs are just crushing it in varsity volleyball play, especially against 5A West competition. Since the beginning of league play in early September, Greenwood has won 10 straight conference matches without dropping a single game – that’s 30-0.

They also won all four matches in the recent Fort Smith Invitational tournament, and now possess the second best record (20-4) in the state in Class 5A, just behind Jonesboro (24-3) and just ahead of Paragould (19-4) and Greenbrier (21-5-1).

These four teams will all certainly be in the mix for the state title later this month. Greenwood and Jonesboro have faced each other in the finals the last two seasons, each winning the crown. It’s also worth noting that Greenwood and Greenbrier are now in the same conference, and the Lady Bulldogs already own a pair of 3-0 victories over the Lady Panthers this season.

GHS Head Coach Jennifer Golden has her team playing well as they head into the home stretch of their regular season schedule. Only four matches remain before the post-season begins later this month, including this past Tuesday’s match at Russellville. Results were not available at press time.

Conference

On September 18th the GHS girls traveled to Alma and swept the Airedalettes, 25-11, 25-18, and 25-11. Senior Abby Cagle led the team offensively with 13 kill shots. Junior Izzy Davis added three service aces. Junior Camryn Presley added seven blocks.

Davis also led the team in digs with 10, while Presley had 15 assists, right behind team leader Anna Johnson with 17. Johnson is a tenth grader.

Later that same week the Lady Bulldogs hosted Beebe and won in straight sets, 25-18, 25-15, and 25-17. Cagle (18) and Presley (10) both reached double digits in kill shots, while junior Zoie Benton had eight kills. Davis added four service aces.

Davis and Presley tied for the team lead in digs with 20 each, while Johnson (22) and Presley (17) led in assists. Davis also topped the squad in returning serves (23), while junior teammate Josie Chapple had 10.

On September 25th the GHS girls traveled to Vilonia for a dominant three set sweep (25-8, 25-17, 25-13). Camryn Presley led the team in kill shots with 10. Abby Cagle and senior Kayley Lawson both had six kills. Josie Chapple had six service aces. Izzy Davis had 15 digs, while Anna Johnson had 19 assists and Cameron Presley had 11. Davis also had 19 service returns.

Two days later Greenwood hosted the Lady Panthers of Greenbrier, winning the first two sets by big margins (25-14, 25-13) and the deciding third set by just two points (25-23). Abby Cagle led the GHS girls in kills with 12, followed by Camryn Presley with nine, Zoie Benton with eight, and junior Bella Mora with seven.

Izzy Davis had four service aces. Davis also led the team in digs with 16. Zoie Benton had 10 digs. Presley led in assists with 16, followed by Anna Johnson with 12. Izzy Davis (17) and Josie Chapple (16) led in service receptions.

After playing four tournament games in Fort Smith on September 29th, the Lady Bulldogs returned to league play at home against Little Rock Christian on October 2nd, winning handily in three sets, 25-15, 25-12, and 25-14.

Abby Cagle led the team with 10 kills, followed by Camryn Presley with seven, Bella Mora with six, and sophomore Larkin Luke with five. Izzy Davis had three service aces.

Presley and Davis led the team in digs with 11 each, while Benton had 10. Anna Johnson topped the stat chart in assists with 17, followed by Presley with 10. Davis and Benton both had 12 service returns.

Last Thursday, October 4th, Siloam Springs hosted Greenwood in a tightly contested match. After winning game one by double digits (25-15), the two teams battled to the wire over the last two sets.

Greenwood won 25-20 and 25-21, led offensively by Abby Cagle and Camryn Presley with 12 kills each. Izzy Davis had 19 digs, while Presley had nine. Presley led the team in assists with 18, followed by Johnson with 13. Davis had 16 service returns and Benton had 14.

Tournament

On Saturday, September 29th, the Lady Bulldogs were one of 16 teams that participated in the 39th annual Fort Smith Invitational played at both Northside and Southside high schools. Tournament matches were limited to the best two-out-of-three games. Every GHS opponent was from a 7A school.

Up first for Greenwood was Little Rock Central, with the Lady Bulldogs winning with ease, 25-14 and 25-19. Benton and Presley both had 11 kill shots. Izzy Davis had three service aces. Presley had five digs and Davis four. Johnson led the team in assists with 10, followed by Presley’s six. Davis also had 11 service returns.

Greenwood’s second match of the day was against Van Buren, with the GHS girls winning 25-18 and 25-14. Zoie Benton led the team with eight kills, while Larkin Luke and Camryn Presley both had five each, followed by Abby Cagle with four.

Presley led the team in blocks with five, while Izzy Davis led her teammates in digs with 10, followed by Zoie Benton with nine. Anna Johnson led in assists with 12, while Presley had eight. Benton also led the Lady Bulldogs in service receptions with 12, while Davis had 10.

Match three was against Fort Smith Northside, with Greenwood winning 25-19 and 25-10. Cagle and Presley tied for the team lead in kill shots with eight each. Benton added five kills.

Benton also had three service aces. Izzy Davis led the GHS ladies with eight digs, while Benton had five. Johnson had 13 assists and Presley eight. Davis and Johnson both had eight service returns.

The final match of the day was against Fort Smith Southside. Greenwood defeated the Lady Mavericks in three sets, winning the final two games (25-22, 17-15) after dropping the opener 25-22. It was the only set Greenwood lost for the entire month of September.

Offensively, Abby Cagle (12) and Zoie Benton (10) led the team in kill shots, followed by Presley with seven. Junior Brooke Jones had four service aces. Three Lady Bulldogs reached double figures in digs. Davis had 16, Benton 12, and Chapple 11. Anna Johnson (18) and Camryn Presley (13) led the team in assists. Davis led with 25 service returns.

Schedule

On Thursday the Lady Bulldogs will host Alma at 4:30 p.m. before traveling to Beebe next Tuesday. They will close out their conference and regular season at home on October 18th against Vilonia. The 5A state tournament will follow at Jonesboro High School, October 23-25, with the state championship match set for October 27th in Hot Springs.

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