Photos courtesy of Jim Best
The battle for the Third Place seed in District between the Mansfield Sr High Lady Tigers and the Waldron Lady Bulldogs was definitely a fight to the finish. You would be hard-pressed to find a closer ending game from the entire season than this. Both of these teams played with a hardcore hunger and determination to win that there might have actually been smoke coming off of the court with all of the fast-paced action going on.
The Lady Tigers kept a firm grip of the match while smashing their sets with last-minute wins of 25-23, 25-19, and 25-19. Mansfield came out on top with the 3-0 victory over Waldron earning the #3 seed at District. Now, the 17-13 Lady Tigers will keep their eye on the 2019 State Volleyball Tournament held this year in Paris. Mansfield will take on the 18-11-1 Harding Academy Lady Wildcats on October 29 at 1 p.m.
Skylynn Harris led her team in the kills department with 13 followed by Brooke Wright with 11, Natalie Allison with six, and Kiara Thomas, Maggie Strunk, and Brooklyn Adams combining for four. Adams, Thomas, and Haylee Helms brought in the Lady Tigers six total aces. Wright put the stop on the Lady Bulldogs with four blocks while Harris brought in three and Vanessa Noblitt earned one. And with a grand total of 45 digs, Helms and Adams earned 10 apiece, with Allison netting eight, and Thomas picking up six.
