On Thursday, the Alliance Bulldog volleyball team hosted the Red Raiders from Sidney. The Raiders got off to a fast start and never looked back, downing the Bulldogs in three set by scores of 25-17 25-16 and 27-25. With the loss, Alliance falls to 4 and 8 on the year. The Bulldogs split the earlier matches. In reserve action, Alliance defeated the guests 25-13 25-22 while in the junior varsity contest, it was the Raiders defeating Alliance 25-22 25-17.
An early kill by Kaiah Adams gave Alliance the early lead. The teams then traded points. A service point off the serve of Bulldog Addison Weber made the score 7 to 5 in favor of Sidney moments later. Down 8 to 5, the Dogs got an ace kill by Shyla Salcido to pull within 2. Sidney responded with 3 straight to go up 11 to 6. Two more kills by Adams later in the set kept Alliance close. With Sidney ahead by 5, an ace block by Weber was followed by another successful spike by Salcido that closed the gap. Senior Macy Brooks had a kill to make the score 18 to 14 but it was close as Alliance would get. The set came to a close with Sidney recording 4 out of the set’s five final points. First set went to the Raiders 25 to 17.
Four consecutive points by the visitors is how set #2 began. Alliance would then get 2 straight points from Macey Seebohm including an ace to get within 2. Following another Brooks’ kill, the Raiders went on a 5 to 0 run to surge ahead 13 to 6. Another ace spike by Weber and 2 more points by Seebohm made things interesting midway through the set as the Dogs got within 5 at 17 to 12. Sidney answered the spree with 4 in a row, making the score 21 to 12. A kill by Weber and 2 more points by the Alliance junior gave the Dogs hope at 23 to 16. The set ended with 2 Raider points as the guests garnered the win 25 to 16.
Things continued to go the Red Raider way in set three. Sidney started the finale with 6 in a row to go up 6 to 0. Solid plays by Alliance’s Josie Sanders and Bailey Shannon gave the Bulldogs the momentum later in the set as the Raider lead was to cut to 2. Later in the set an ace serve by Bulldog Taylee Thompson and another kill by Weber kept Alliance close at 10 to 8. The Dogs then took the lead with big plays by Sanders, Salcido, and Shannon. Alliance kept their advantage with more points and kills by Thompson, Weber, and Alexis Libsack. A point by Weber gave Alliance the lead at 20 to 17 but 3 in a row by Sidney knotted the set at 20. Two more Salcido plays was followed by another kill by Libsack that put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 23 to 21 but 3 straight by Sidney gave the guests match point. Later in the set, another kill by Weber tied the game at 25. The set concluded with 2 in a row by the Raiders as Alliance fell 27 to 25.
SID 25 25 27
ALL 17 16 25
Stats. Weber 6 kills 3 points Sanders 2 kills 4 points Shannon 1 kill 1 point Seebohm 4 points Thompson 3 points Salcido 3 kills 3 points Adams 3 kills