Pirates Fall To Blue Dragons In Straight Sets
September 24, 2018
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - The Independence Lady Pirates returned home Monday night to host one of the top teams in the conference, the Hutchinson Blue Dragons. The Lady Pirates played it close with the Blue Dragons especially in the third set going past the score limit but just didn't have enough in the tank falling in straight sets for the fourth straight match.
In the first set, the Dragons went for the kill, but it went too far giving Independence the first point of the night. Hutchinson answered on a 4-0 run, but a kill by Destiny Thomas cut the lead down to two.
A 3-2 run pushed the Dragons' lead to 7-4 but kills by Thomas and Natasha Colon kept the Lady Pirates in it before a 3-2 run made it 10-6 after a hit in the net by the Dragons. Consecutive points from Hutchinson made the score 12-6 before a kill by Shelymar Diaz cut the Dragons' lead down to five.
Hutchinson went on a 5-0 run off kills and Independence errors extending their lead to 17-7 before another kill by Diaz and Colon cut the Dragons' lead down to eight. A 2-1 Independence run made the score 18-11. The Lady Pirates were outmatched the remainder of the set being outscored 7-2 and dropping the set 13-25.
The second set began with a run of 4-3 for Independence after a double contact but a kill by Hutchinson and consecutive blocks into the net put the Dragons up 6-4. Another 4-3 run made it close, but back to back kills pushed the Hutchinson lead to 12-7.
Consecutive kills by Thomas and a kill by Briana Prescott cut it to 12-10, but a 4-0 run pushed the Dragons' lead to six. The Lady Pirates answered after a timeout with a point of their own, but a 9-5 run saw Independence drop the set 15-25 and trail 0-2 in the match.
In the third set, the Lady Pirates opened with a kill by Colon. The Dragons answered with a kill but so did Destiny Thomas the following serve. Hutchinson responded with kills and blocks on a 5-0 run and a block into the net had Independence trailing 7-2.
An ace from Thomas cut the lead to four, but another kill by Hutchinson made the score 8-3. A double contact and hit out of bounds cut the lead to three before back to back service errors made it 9-6 and exchanged miscues had the score at 10-7.
A 2-0 run capped by a Diaz kill had Independence within one and an ace by Colon tied it at 10-10 before a 4-2 run from the Dragons had the score 14-12. Thomas threw down a kill cutting the lead to one but a service error and block in the net had the score at 16-13.
A kill by Patricia Seller and service error had Independence back within one and a 3-2 run had the score tied at 18-18 before a kill from Thomas put the Lady Pirates up 19-18. A 2-1 run by Hutchinson had the score tied at 20-20 and a block out of bounds put Independence up by one before a kill tied it a 21-21.
Miscommunication and a spike out of bounds gave the Lady Pirates a two-point advantage before back to back kills tied it at 23-23. A kill by Prescott had Independence up by one but another kill tied it again.
The teams exchanged points to tie at 25-25, but the hard-fought battle ended as the Lady Pirates dropped the set 25-27 and the match 0-3.
Independence is now 6-10 an 2-5 in conference play and returns to ICC Field House Wednesday, September 26 hosting the Barton County Cougars with first serve set for 6:30 pm.