For the Superior Lady Bobcats volleyball team, a win in the Western 7B conference tournament play-in round would be a boost to a frustrating season.

The Bobcats, who entered the match against Mission High (St. Ignatius) with a 2-12 season mark, faced a win or go home situation. 

And although they eventually lost the match, 3-2, Superior went out in style, pushing the Lady Bulldogs to a five-set thriller in a match drew kudos from their head coach, Kyra McElroy. 

“I am very proud of them (Lady Bobcats)”, McElroy said. “They gave it their all”. 

In a tournament that featured a tough battle for the 7B title and top seed at this weekend’s Divisional tournament in Anaconda, the Lady Cats did indeed give it their all. 

Superior grabbed an early 3-0 lead in the first set before Mission rallied to tie to score at 15.  The Bobcats regained the lead and slowly pulled away to a 25-19 victory, giving them a 1-0 match edge. 

Set number two was a hard-fought set that saw Mission take an early lead and hold it most of the way.  But Superior kept battling and tied the score at 24-24.  The Lady Cats then scored two straight points to win the set and take a 2-0 match lead. 

In the third set, which was tied several times in the early going, Mission pulled away mid-set to secure a 25-17 win and cut the Superior lead to 2-1. 

The fourth set was another overtime thriller that was tied nine times, including a 25-25 tie.  Mission got the serve back on a long serve by Superior, then scored a set-clinching 27-25 win that tied the match at two sets each. 

After an early 2-2 tie, Mission pulled ahead at eventually built a 14-9 lead.  They scored the winning point on the next serve, giving them a 15-9 set five win and a come-from-behind 3-2 match win. 

The victory sent Mission to a semifinal match against top-seeded and unbeaten Eureka while Superior’s season came to an end. 

Superior sophomore Jose Crabb had an outstanding game for the Lady Cats, with 16 digs, five kill shots and one block.  Senior teammate Braelyn Mangold had seven kills and two blocks, while sophomore Lyla Beaudoin had a team-high 13 assists, one more than junior Perri Jasper, who had 12 assists. 

Junior Maggie Haworth also had a solid game for Superior, recording 12 digs, four kills and four service aces.  Makenzie Reum chipped in three service aces and 12 digs for the Lady Cats.