Dexter volleyball team bests Leopold

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Dexter middle Jessica Lindsey and Leopold middle Caitlin Petty turned a close third game into as much of a one-on-one battle as possible in the game of volleyball Tuesday night.

The two had a direct role in the outcome of nine of the game's final 11 points. Lindsey closed out the 25-23, 21-25, 25-23 Dexter win with an ace and another serve that was passed over the net for teammate Brittany Harris to kill for the final point.

It wasn't the first time Lindsey and Petty met on the court. Yhey played on the same club team during the last year and both now are playing big roles on their schools' varsity teams as freshmen. They even took some pictures together before the match to commemorate the moment.

"I didn't really want to go up against her because we're both freshmen and we're both playing on varsity and we played on the same team, but it was fun," Lindsey said. "I liked it."

Petty got a kill with Lindsey blocking to even the final game 20-20.

"It was kind of cool," Petty said about playing against Lindsey. "Every time she'd block me, I'd smile. And then every time I'd block her, she'd smile."

Lindsey's hitting error gave Leopold the next point and the lead, but she wouldn't be stopped again. She recorded monster kills on two of the next three points before serving out the match.

"I was getting mad because we were behind," Lindsey said. "We were losing the third [game]. That's what really kind of made me mad. That's when I hit the hardest is when I'm mad."

Although Leopold jumped out to a five-point lead in Game 1 and Dexter held five-point leads early in both the second and third games, all three turned into tests closing out close games. Dexter passed the exam twice, Leopold just once.

Dexter missed a serve to give Leopold a 22-21 lead in Game 1, but the Wildcats returned the favor with two missed serves and a hitting error to hand Dexter three of the four points it needed to close the game.

"Bad time to miss a couple serves and bad passes," Leopold coach Sandy Davis said. "The last three points we had two bad passes right there in a row. You know, you've got to close it. You've got to finish it. We played with confidence tonight more so, even with Scott City last night, so it's just that learning. Now we've got to learn to close it."

Leopold fell behind 6-1 to start Game 2 before winning five of the next seven points to even the score.

"I just told them to calm down," Davis said. "They get where you can see the looks on their faces. It's like, 'Let's calm down. Play your game. Have fun out there and be aggressive.' You can't play scared."

Game 2 was tied as late at 19-19 before Leopold senior Emily Elfrink got a kill before serving the next four points, including one ace, for her team. Elfrink missed a serve on game point, but Petty ended the game with a kill.

"I love it," Davis said about the close games. "I would play in a game like this five days a week because they learn. They learn to correct their mistakes and face the hard hitters and the blockers and the defense. Playing a competitive team like this is great. That's what you want."

Dexter senior Lindsey Hindman ended the longest point of the match with a kill that sailed high and deep into the corner on Leopold's side of the court before dropping in to bring Dexter to within 19-18 in Game 3. Lindsey and Petty took over from there.

"Yes," Dexter coach Lauren Hutchcraft said when asked if she was happy with the way her team played at the end of each game. "Much better at the net, much more hitting. They played more aggressive at the net then I've seen them in a while -- more as a team, too, when we went on defense."

Dexter improved 14-6-2, while Leopold dropped to 9-9.

Lindsey finished with 10 kills and eight blocks for Dexter. Harris had 12 kills and five blocks while Hindman had 26 digs and Lauren Ward had 18 assists.

Petty led Leopold with 12 kills and six digs. Denai Arnzed added six kills and 26 digs, while Sydney Eeftink added 16 assists and six digs.

"Our girls played well," Davis said. "But we've just got to learn to finish it."