In spite of a three-set sweep at the hands of Cuba nearly two weeks ago, Kaci Jones’ Belle Lady Tiger volleyball team kept their hopes for a share of the Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) softball title alive with a pair of home wins last week over Steelville and Viburnum.

Opening the October portion of their season last Tuesday hosting the Lady Blue Jays, Belle won the junior varsity match in two sets by identical scores of 25-14 while their varsity counterparts needed four sets to turn back Viburnum 25-19, 24-26, 25-21 and 25-11.

Senior Brooklyn Maddox served up a team-high five aces followed closely with four aces from Chloe Jones.

Lydia Jones and Adelyn Walters each added three aces to go along with two aces from Saige Garner.

Combining for 28 kills were Lydia (16) and Chloe (12) Jones. Walters nearly made it three Lady Tigers in double digits with nine kills.

Both Jones sisters also had a block apiece against the Lady Blue Jays.

Maddox (17) and Garner (14) reached double digits in the assist department while four Lady Tigers had double-digit digs.

Leading that quartet was Maddox with 17 followed by McKenna Loughridge (15), Lydia Jones (14) and Walters (11).

Three nights later in rare Friday-night volleyball against Steelville at Belle High School (BHS), Belle dropped the JV match in two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-20 before the varsity Lady Tigers picked them up with a three-set sweep of the Lady Cardinals 25-17, 25-18 and 25-21.

Lydia Jones served up a team-high seven aces while Chloe Jones and Walters each added two aces.

In addition to her seven aces, Lydia Jones recorded a team-high 10 kills to go along with eight kills from Chloe Jones.

Garner and Loughridge recorded a block each against Steelville while Maddox led the Lady Tigers against the Lady Cardinals with 12 assists.

Victoria Busch paced Belle in the dig department with 10 followed closely with seven from Lydia Jones.

Adding four digs apiece were Maddox, Walters, Garner and Chloe Jones.

After hosting Bourbon’s Lady Warhawks for senior night last night (Tuesday) at BHS, Belle will conclude the GVC portion of their schedule tomorrow (Thursday) night on the road at Steelville.

One big change for this year’s Belle Varsity Volleyball Tournament will be that only one gym will see action.

Dropping the tournament field to six teams, all action will be contested at BHS instead of also having to use Bland Middle School.

Teams placed in the Red Pool include Belle, Bourbon and Dixon while Black Pool teams include Linn, Cuba and Steelville.

Pool play will start at 8 a.m., with a Highway 28 showdown between Belle and Dixon followed at 9 a.m., by a cat fight between Linn and Cuba.

Red-pool action will conclude at 10 a.m., with Bourbon taking on Belle before the start of Black pool action at 11 a.m., with a Highway 19 and Crawford County showdown between Cuba and Steelville.

High noon volleyball will see Dixon face Bourbon before Steelville and Linn conclude pool volleyball action at 1 p.m.

Place matches will begin at 2:30 p.m., with the consolation match between the two third-place pool teams at 2:30 p.m., followed at 3:30 p.m., by the third-place match between the two second-place teams from each pool.

Tournament action will conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m., with the championship match between the top teams from each pool.