It was a heartbreaking evening last Tuesday in Bartley as the South Loup Lady Bobcats volleyball season came to an end in the C2-11 Subdistrict Final game, falling to Southwest 1-3.

The Lady Bobcats played with vigor and heart both nights of subdistricts, beating Southern Valley on Monday night 3-0 to move on to the finals. Beating the Eagles 25-17, 25-23, and 25-21, the Bobcats racked up quite a few impressive statistics. Bryn Schwarz had 12 kills, followed by Lauryn Johnson with 8 kills. Abby Stallbaumer had 11 blocks, followed by Charli Vickers with 9 blocks.

Talli Martin and Schwarz each had 14 serve attempts with zero errors, followed by Vickers with 12 attempts and zero errors. Martin also had 28 digs. Ava Pandorf had 93 assists and 25 digs.

On Tuesday, the Lady Bobcats forced the Southwest Roughriders to four sets, a feat only four other teams had done this season. But the loud Southwest fans made it hard for the Bobcats to hear each other on the court, leading to communication misunderstandings and many near collisions. Despite these challenges, the Lady Bobcats put it all out on the court - never quitting or letting down their guard. Each pass was given the same determination and desire to win as the next.

The stats for the Southwest game were not immediately available at press time.

“We knew Sub-Districts would be tough, but they came ready and swept through the first round,” said Head Coach Desiree Guthrie. “Southwest is a great team and they played with less errors.”

Guthrie added, “They (the Lady Bobcats) finished the year with a 21-8 record with many many accomplishments. Stand tall girls and be proud, I know I couldn't have asked for a better group of young women!”!

The Roughriders advanced to the districts to beat Fullerton 3-1 and punch their ticket for the state tournament this weekend.

Watch next week’s paper for a full recap of the season, with final statistics and reactions from players and coaches.

Above: Lauryn Johnson prepares to pass the ball during the C2-11 Subdistrict Final game against Southwest last Tuesday.

Below: Ava Pandorf serves the ball against Southwest during the C2-11 Subdistrict Final game last Tuesday.