Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The Kimball volleyball team won last Thursday's season opener by topping Bridgeport, 3-2.
It was an intense game with both the Longhorns and the Bulldogs playing their hearts out, chasing each other on the scoreboard and constantly shifting the tides of the game. The first set, like all the others that followed, was a close one, with Bridgeport starting the serve and gaining the lead with three continuous successful rallies. Kimball came up next, scoring the next two points and soon game one was tied 4-4.
Bridgeport soon took the lead again, scoring 18 points and seemingly leaving Kimball behind until the Lady Longhorns took control, coming up with a stream of continuous scores until the teams were nearly even again. After a tense first rally with the two teams scoring point after point and going back and forth, Bridgeport won game one, 25-20.
The Lady Longhorns came back with a vengeance to take control in the second and third games to win by scores of 25-21 and 25-16, never once letting the Bridgeport Lady Bulldogs get ahead of them on the scoreboard. The Lady Longhorns played well, keeping the ball moving around to all their players and using all their strengths to their advantage, showing how well they can work together and how much talent they have spread out about the team.
Bridgeport came back in the fourth set, starting the serve, and played intensely against the Lady Longhorns. Kimball quickly gained a 6-3 lead, but Bridgeport came back to tie the game and kept pace. Kimball went ahead 23-19 late, but Bridgeport rallied late to come up with a 26-24 win to force the decisive fifth game.
The pressure was on in fifth and final set, but the Lady Longhorn volleyball team kept their cool and did not panic, and won by a score of 15-11 to take the match in five games.
"Bridgeport was going to be one of our tougher opponents this season, so it was a good win for us," said Kimball coach Jeri Ferguson. "We really stuck together and had a good team win, passing the ball around enough so the team couldn't shut down one specific aspect of the team. We did well."
The Lady Longhorns' leading scorer was Madie Snyder with 16, followed by Madison Biesecker with 12.