Loogootee Jr-Sr High School

The Loogootee Lady Lions hosted Linton on Tuesday night, with the JV squad picking up a three-set victory before the varsity fell in straight sets. The JV Lady Lions improved to 3-1 with a hard-fought 25-22, 19-25, 15-11 victory. Loogootee took the opening set before Linton answered in the second, forcing a deciding third. The Lady Lions responded with a 15-11 win to secure their third victory of the season. Abbigail Rollins and Addison Moore led the JV with 5 service points each, while Moore delivered a team-high 3 aces. Haylo Harmon had a big night defensively with 18 digs, and Rollins added 10. Offensively, Kensleigh Carrico led the Lady Lions with 7 kills, followed closely by Moore with 6. Carrico also handed out a team-high 9 assists, while Fara Fisher added 5. In the varsity match, Loogootee (1-3) fell to Linton 19-25, 19-25, 11-25. The opening set was competitive through the early going. Loogootee stayed within striking distance and battled back to within a point at 8-7. Sophomore Lydia Hawkins then delivered an ace to even the set at 8-8, one of three aces she would record on the night. Linton answered with the biggest run of the opening set and eventually built a 19-10 advantage. Loogootee refused to let the set get away without a fight, putting together its strongest stretch of the set late. The Lady Lions scored nine of the next 14 points, with their defense and several Linton attacking errors helping Loogootee climb back to 24-19 before the Miners finally closed out the opener, 25-19. The second set again saw Loogootee hang around early before Linton created separation. The Lady Lions continued to find answers throughout the set, but another Linton run forced Loogootee to play from behind. Loogootee once again fought its way to 19 points before Linton finished off another 25-19 victory to take a 2-0 match lead. Loogootee got a quick spark to begin the third as senior Aubrey Gilbert opened the set with an ace. The teams traded points during the opening portion of the set before Linton began to take control. The Miners eventually pulled away for a 25-11 victory to complete the sweep. Senior Alaina Diamond led the Loogootee attack with 8 kills, while Hawkins and Savannah Green finished with 3 apiece. Gilbert directed the offense with 11 assists, and Hawkins added 6. Hawkins led the Lady Lions at the service line with 7 service points and 3 aces, while Lauren Nolan and Gilbert each recorded 4 service points. Defensively, senior Jocelynn Sims turned in a strong performance with a team-high 19 digs. Gilbert added 14 digs, while Hawkins and Green each finished with 6. Despite the loss, the Lady Lions had several bright spots, including Diamond's team-leading eight kills, Hawkins' work from the service line and Sims' 19-dig defensive effort. Loogootee also showed some fight after falling behind in the opening set, putting together a late run that gave the Miners trouble before Linton was able to finish it. The varsity Lady Lions move to 1-3 on the season, while the JV Lady Lions continue their strong start at 3-1.