Playing matches on the road at New Haven and Cuba earlier last week, Beki Willis’ Bland Lady Bear volleyball teams hosted Dixon’s Lady Bulldogs last Friday night at Bland Middle School (BMS) in a showdown of Highway 28 middle school volleyball teams.

Seeing their seventh-grade counterparts sweep the Lady Bulldogs in two sets 25-7 and 25-11, Bland’s eighth-grade Lady Bears looked to do the same in their match against Dixon.

Behind strong service starts from Reagan Gehlert, Bland went on to sweep the doubleheader taking the eighth-grade match in two sets from Dixon 25-9 and 25-10.

Game one saw Gehlert serve the first seven points of the match helping Bland to an early 7-0 lead before two aces from Charleigh Elrod and three aces from Emrie Fredendall helped Bland to a 17-3 lead forcing Dixon to use a timeout.

Bree Butler then served four aces over five points later in game one helping the Lady Bears move halfway to capping a three-match week on a winning note.

After a Dixon service error opened game two, Gehlert served the next three points giving Bland a quick 4-0 lead.

Winter Hatfield followed with a kill sending her behind the service line where she served the next six points moving the Lady Bears into double digits at 12-2.

Kills from Fredendall and Elrod led to aces by both servers giving the Lady Bears a 17-5 lead.

Leading 21-10 following a Lady Bulldog service error, Gehlert served three aces over the next four points helping Bland win the match in two sets.

Last Thursday night at Cuba, Bland needed three sets to take the seventh-grade match along Highway 19 by scores of 22-25, 25-21 and 17-15 while the eighth-grade Lady Bears fell in two sets to Cuba 25-18 and 25-16.

Opening the March portion of their season last Monday night at New Haven, both matches between the Lady Bears and host Lady Shamrocks needed three sets to decide a winner.

Willis’ seventh-grade Lady Bears dropped game one before coming back to win the next two sets and the match 23-25, 25-10 and 15-11.

Eighth-grade action also went to the Lady Bears in three sets over New Haven by scores of 25-15, 23-25 and 15-11.

Saturday at the Steelville 7th Grade Girls Volleyball Tournament, Bland’s Lady Bears dropped their opening match of pool play to Lesterville in two sets 25-7 and 25-22.

Sweeping Viburnum 25-18 and 25-13 in their next pool match, that left Bland needing at least a split against Bourbon to advance into bracket play.

Taking game one 25-20 over the Lady Warhawks, Bland dropped game two 25-20 leaving them in second place in the pool behind Lesterville.

During bracket play, Bland dropped their semifinal contest with Cuba in two sets by identical scores of 25-18 in both sets.

Sent to the third-place match against Steelville, Bland settled for fourth place after losing to the host Lady Cardinals in two sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-19.

Hosting Hermann’s Lady Bearcats Monday night, Bland will travel into Iron County tomorrow (Thursday) night to face the host Blue Jays before returning home to BMS Friday night hosting Cuba’s Lady Wildcats.

Another Saturday of tournament action will greet Willis’ seventh-graders in Crawford County at the Bourbon Middle School B-Team Volleyball Tournament.

It will be a five-time round robin event featuring the host Lady Warhawks, Cuba, Steelville, St. James and Bland.

Bland’s first match of the day Saturday will begin bright and early at 8:30 a.m., against Cuba before they sit the rest of the morning until approximately 12:15 p.m., when they will face Bourbon.

They will then turn right around at around 1 p.m., to face Steelville before ending the round-robin portion of the tournament facing St. James with an approximate 3:15 start time.

At around 4 p.m., the two teams with the best round-robin records will square off for the championship in Bourbon.

If there’s a tie, head-to-head point differential will be used first and overall points will be the second tiebreaker if teams are even head-to-head on points.

In the event still of a tie between two teams, one set to 15 points will be played to decide who plays in the championship match.