BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford and Lake Butler middle schools split a pair of volleyball matches on Sept. 16 in Starke, with Lake Butler winning the A-team match 2-0 (25-10, 25-22) and Bradford taking the B-team match 2-0 (25-16, 25-20).
The Tigers built a 4-1 lead in the first set of the A-team match. They then got three service aces from Reagan Williams as part of a 6-0 run.
A 4-0 stretch that included an ace by Latoya Hampton put Lake Butler up 16-3.
Bradford got kills from Jade Brown, Cayson Hampton and Elaina Smith, but could never put together a string of points to cut into the Tigers’ lead.
Latoya Hampton had a kill that put the Tigers up 24-9, with a Bradford attack error eventually giving Lake Butler the first-set win.
The Tornadoes took a 6-3 lead in the second set and scored three straight points — including an ace — with Cayson Hampton serving to go up 13-8.
Lake Butler got an ace from Sabella Reddish and a kill from Latoya Hampton to later tie the score at 13-13 before side-out gave the serve to the Tornadoes’ Shelby Williams. Bradford got two kills from Smith to go up 16-13.
It was 18-16 in favor of Bradford when the Tigers scored two points with Latoya Hampton serving.
Bradford went up 20-18 on a Gabby Smith ace, but Lake Butler would tie it up again, with Emily Hunt making a diving dig of a Bradford spike that kept play alive and led to an eventual point.
Kennedy Arnold had two straight aces for the Tigers as they went up 23-21. A Bradford attack error added another point.
Lake Butler scored the match-winning point when the Tornadoes couldn’t make a play on a free ball.
The B-team match began with two aces by Bradford’s Kelsey Padgett. The Tornadoes’ Raelynn Alexander later had a kill to put her team ahead 10-6.
Bradford scored seven of the set’s next 10 points, getting a kill from Kamari Haygood and two aces from Padgett.
Aubrianna Thomas recorded another two aces for the Tornadoes, which put them up 20-10.
A 3-0 stretch with Za’mariyah Glover serving left Bradford one point away from winning the set.
The Tigers got an ace from Jalie Walker as they scored two points to make the score 24-16.
A service error resulted in the winning point for Bradford.
Alexander and Padgett each had an ace to help Bradford take a 9-3 lead in the second set.
Lake Butler trailed 16-10 when it got an ace from Boccanelli, but a tip by Bradford’s Padgett forced side-out. Halen McKinney then had two aces for the Tornadoes, stretching their lead to 19-13.
The Tigers cut Bradford’s lead to four before getting two aces from Lea Elixson as part of a 3-0 run that made the score 20-19 before a side-out.
That was as close as the Tornadoes would allow Lake Butler to get. Bradford got an ace from Callay Carter to go up 22-19 and later, with Thomas serving, scored the winning point on a Lake Butler attack error.
Bradford hosts Palatka on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 5 p.m. and will travel to play Keystone Heights on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m.
Lake Butler travels to play Williston on Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.
