Lady Loboes Improve to 2-0 With District 3-3A Win Over Prowlers
   by Randy Hogan, Staff Writer ~~The Monahans News, October 11, 2005

The Monahans Lady Loboes improved their district 3-3A record to 2-0 Saturday with a 25-13, 25-9, 25-9 victory over Fort Stockton at the Jerry Larned Sports Complex.

The Prowlers entered the match tied with MHS for the district lead after last weeks five game match win over Pecos.

The Ladies wasted little time, taking a 4-0 lead behind the power of Brittany Hughes.  Hughes set the tone of the game with impressive tomahawk swings, smashing the ball to the floor off of Candace Swarb sets.

Monahans took a 14-3 lead off Swarb's serve, before Fort Stockton Coach Jessica Martinez called time out to regroup her team.

Allison Miller got into the rhythm with a big kill to move the score to 15-3.

The Ladies extended their lead to 18-4 behind solid defense and overpowering offensive swings, to pace the ladies through the final point of the game.

The Prowlers would make a late charge at the Green, but it was too little too late, as the Lady Loboes blasted Stockton 25-13 in game one.

In the second game of the afternoon, Monahans sent Dina Ortiz to the line to jumpstart the Green to a 3-0 lead off of her serve.  Bethany Willmon also displayed with power and precision, nailing a pass through the Stockton side of the court.

Off of Willmon's serve, Hughes blasted a point off the Ft. Stockton defense.  For a 9-2 lead, Catherine Cutbirth followed with her own kill, and then the duo of Hughes and Cutbirth posted a big block back into the Prowler hitters to complete a series of demoralizing points.

Stockton would only get as closer as 13-8, before Cutbirth unloaded on the prowlers to give the Ladies a sideout.

Leading 16-9, the Lady Loboes rolled off nine consecutive points, including an ace by Ortiz, to take game two of the match 25-9.

Monahans returned to form in the final game of the match, taking a 1-0 lead and breaking the Prowler serve.

Willmon stepped to the line and served two consecutive points, to put the Ladies up 4-1.

The Prowlers appeared to be a step behind as Cutbirth, Hughes, and Miller pounded Stockton, taking a commanding 11-3 lead.

Cutbirth started another rally with by putting down another big kill, and Miller blocked a Prowler point attempt for a 15-3 lead.

The Lady Loboes pounded out a 25-9 game three victory, and more importantly, the sole lead atop District 3-3A volleyball.

Kalie Harris, Paige Shaw and Camilla Cutbirth's contributions in the game made the win an overall team effort.

"We played really well," Coach Patty Dominguez said.  We executed on offense and defense, and I am proud of the overall effort the girls gave."

Statistics for the game include:

Kills- Monahans: Brittany Hughes 22, Candace Swarb 2, Alison Miller 5, Bethany Willmon 3, Catherine Cutbirth 9, Bailey Marcum 2.

Blocks- Monahans: Brittany Hughes 5, Candace Swarb 1, Alison Miller 1, Bethany Willmon 1, Bailey Marcum 2.

Assists- Monahans: Candace Swarb 37, Bethany Willmon 1, Bailey Marcum 1, Camilla Cutbirth 1.

Digs- Monahans: Brittany Hughes 11, Candace Swarb 9, Alison Miller 2, Bethany Willmon 5, Catherine Cutbirth 6, Bailey Marcum 5, Dina Ortiz 5.

Aces- Monahans: Brittany Hughes 5, Bethany Willmon 1, Catherine Cutbirth 2, Camilla Cutbirth 1, Dina Ortiz 3.

Monahans (33-3) will be back home Tuesday for a key district match with Pecos.  The Ladies have faced the Eagles only once this season, defeating PHS in a scrimmage in early August.

The Eagles lost their second consecutive district match in five games 25-20, 15-25, 19-25, 25-22, 10-15 to Presidio over the weekend.  In the fifth game Pecos rallied from a 7-0 deficit to tie the game, before eventually falling to the Lady Devils.

The Lady Loboes will look to take advantage of the Pecos rotation, which include two freshmen on the back line.

"We approach the game like we do any other," Dominguez said.  We will attack the ball, execute our schemes and use the court time to polish our game in preparation for the next one."

Dominguez is a 1984 graduate of Pecos High School.

Keyed by Melissa Ramirez, Senior