Caged

ALEDO – Blum has had plenty of success here over the last year.

Last November, the Bobcats took on Perrin in the Class A bi-district football round and defeated the Pirates on its way to the state championship. Nov. 10, No.3-ranked Blum came here to take on Perrin’s county foe Bryson with hopefully more luck.

Blum went five games with Abbott in the last round but Bryson also went the maximum with Evant, Bearcat Gym undoubtedly a bit worn out after going five games in their last match with Abbott.

Bryson knew the same feeling going the maximum in its regional quarterfinal with Evant.

Still, Abbott must have taken less out of the tank than Evant did as Blum needed barely over an hour to knock the Cowgirls off the Class A playoff range in a 25-16, 25-19, 25-15 win over the Cowgirls.

Bryson, which went to the Class A regionals for the fourth straight year, ended its year at 10-10 while Blum moves on to face Saint Jo at 28-5.

Blum, who had five freshmen on its roster, was solid at the front court from the start. Addison Willingham led the way for the Lady Cats on the front court with four kills in the opening game. Bryson had trouble getting any sort of things going offensively.

Rachel Robinson was the only Cowgirl to string together more than one serving point coming through with a pair of points to draw within 8-11. A pair of Windsor Godfrey kills cut the deficit to 18-12. Frontcourt work from sophomore Riley Valliant brought the Cowgirls within 14-21 but no further.

Bryson kept things closer in game two. Emery Fisher used a Valliant kill to knot the game at seven.

Godfrey serve up two more to take a 10-8 lead, forcing Blum’s lone timeout of the match. Hauger served up two points to double the lead to four, 13-9.

Fisher gave the Cowgirls the last lead at 18-15 before Kayden Arrington rode on the scene and came though the final sev-en points of the match to go up 2-0.

The Lady Cats fell behind 7-0 in the nightcap. Allie Orr’s single, put home by a Robinson kill, put the Cowgirls on the board. Blum led 16-4 at one point before A three-point Goodman string, cut the deficit to 9-17 but it wasn’t enough.