KHS varsity, JV lose; freshmen win

Photo by Lester Murray GOT IT — Kilgore's Raven Wiley (left) makes a play during Tuesday night's home volleyball matchup with Marshall. The varsity lost the match, their first home date of the season, in three games. KHS hosts Hallsville on Friday, then visits Pine Tree on Tuesday. While Marshall High School is no longer a district opponent, there's still a good rivalry there, and that rivalry extends to the volleyball court, too.

Kilgore High School's volleyball teams each played the Lady Mavs on Tuesday, the first game of the season at the KHS gymnasium. Varsity and junior varsity lost to Marshall, while the freshmen Lady Bulldogs, on a roll of late, got the win.

Kilgore's varsity lost three straight: 25-18, 25-22, 25-18.

Head coach Lacy Thompson said she was disappointed, but hopes her team can continue to get better as the season moves on.

"Last year, we didn't really have much time at all in the non-district schedule," said Thompson, a 1999 KHS graduate in her second year as head coach this season. "We do have some non-district games left against some good competition, so hopefully we can get better during that time, and do a little better in district play."

Lesta Eaton had 15 sets that resulted in kills for the Lady Bulldogs (5-10 on the season). Sarah Morris and Kelsey Jackson each had four kills.

The junior varsity also dropped to Marshall, 23-25, 25-17, 20-25. Skye Wyatt had 11 consecutive serves, Thompson said, and Brianna Westbrook had a good game on the front row with 12 kills.

The freshmen, fresh off winning a tournament at Elysian Fields last weekend, won in three. Marshall won the first game, but KHS won the next two, 25-19, 25-21. Hunter Dean had 13 consecutive serves, Thompson said.

The Lady Bulldogs are back in action at home on Friday, hosting Hallsville. There will be special times for this matchup, Thompson said — freshmen and varsity will both begin at 4:30 p.m., with the JV game to follow, likely around 5:30.

KHS visits former district rival Pine Tree on Tuesday, and goes to Lufkin next Friday.

Cassie Newell coaches the KHS freshmen and Amanda Farmer coaches the JV.