Bryson bucks Bluff Dale out of Class postseason

PERRIN – Bryson’s volleyballers have their eyes set on a State title.

After winning the District 9-A title last month, the Cowgirls got a break before taking on Bluff Dale in area competition Thursday night. The respite cost Bryson next to nothing as the squad needed just 49 minutes to take care of the Lady ‘Cats 25-8, 25-6, 25-8.

Bryson moved on to the regional quarterfinal round to face Prairie Valley in Windthorst Tuesday night (results not available as of press time). Bryson Coach Kim Hauger said the win will benefit the team down the road.

“This will help us set the mood for the playoff run,” Hauger said of the win. “Against Electra, we didn’t have Windsor (Godfrey). Now that she’s back, we can get into a playoff groove.”

The senior hitter was very forthcoming on what her goal is for the rest of the season, having her self been to the State Tournament in her high school career.

“Keeping up the legacy, baby,” Godfrey, who had four kills in the match, told KWKQ Radio.

The whole team was in a groove from the first serve, Tracy Hauger opening the match with an eight-point serving run as the Lady ‘Cats seemed off their game in the early going. A Traci Berend kill set up the senior’s four-point serving string as Bryson had the lead in double figures early at 14-3.

Bluff Dale did not have a single serving point in the opener which kept it from mounting a comeback. Four points from Emery Fisher, including three aces, put the lead at 19-4. Pairs of points from both Godfrey and Tracy Hauger, with some front court help from Godfrey and Berend on the finale, ended the opener in 11 minutes.

Bluff Dale had its only lead of the match at 1-0 in game two on a freshman Allie Morris point. Riley Valliant broke the Lady ‘Cats serve with a kill and Tracy Hauger had another lengthy run. Her seven-point skein was paced by kills from Valliant and Berend for an 8-1 lead.

Allie Orr’s pair extended the lead to 11-2. Berend, who had nine kills in the match, put home two of them to get strings from Valliant and herself going.

Berend’s serving run was the longest of the match, running 10 points. She got some help from a pair from Isabella Moore as the lead went to 23-4. Bluff Dale served up a point before Valliant’s third kill of the game broke serve and set the table for Fisher who ended the game with a point.

Bluff Dale held tough early in game three getting within 6-8 before Kim Hauger called a timeout.

“We had a lot of silly errors to start game three because we weren’t communicating and had to get that straightened out,” Coach Hauger said.

Godfrey’s kill straight out of the timeout gave Bryson the serve and set the table for Berend who ran off the next six points. Two aces and a EmmaLee Moore kill helped force a Bluff Dale timeout down 16-6. Fisher had another nifty run, aided by kills from Hanna Perez and Godfrey, to put Bryson up 22-8. Godfrey then finished the job, Valliant throwing down the exclamation point on the final tally.