The Straughn Lady Tigers volleyball battled fiercely, but were swept by the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers in Straughn on Tuesday night.

 

T.R. Miller got the opening point in the first game, but Straughn scratched back to take a 3-1 lead.

 

A 4-point rally by T.R. Miller put the visiting Lady Tigers ahead for the remainder of the first game.

 

Straughn battled back, and trailed 16-13 when Derriunna Gantt finished off a nice volley with a strong shot.

 

The host Lady Tigers got within one point of T.R. Miller when they made the score 17-16, but T.R. Miller followed that up with a 7-point rally to take a 24-16 lead.

 

Straughn wasn’t giving up, though, as they mounted a 5-point rally to bring the score to 24-21.

 

T.R. Miller finished off the first game, on the next serve for a 25-21 victory in game one.

 

Straughn got the scoreboard first in the second game, and then both teams went back-and-forth scoring.

 

Ashley Hughes gave Straughn a 7-4 lead with a strong attack during a 7-point rally by the home squad.

 

Straughn held the advantage until T.R. Miller went in front 12-11 during a 10-point rally that put T.R. Miller on top 16-11.

 

The Straughn Lady Tigers continued to claw their way back into the game, and tied the contest up at 16-16 thanks in part to two big blocks by Gantt.

 

Another big block from Gantt, tied the contest at 17-17.

 

Gantt and Hughes each got a piece of a block a few plays later that put Straughn up 19-17.

 

Both teams fought hard to hold the lead, and a quick rally put Straughn up 23-20.

 

T.R. Miller emerged victorious with a 6-1 rally that gave them a 26-24 win in the second game.

 

Game three started with Straughn score, and Hughes came up with a big stop to give the host Lady Tigers a 3-2 lead.

 

T.R. Miller came back and took a 6-5 lead in the next few minutes.

 

Lexie Cottle tied the game up for Straughn with a punishing attack. Hannah Lawless put Straughn on top 8-6 with two-straight aces.

 

Three strong plays in a row from Hughes and Cottle, put Straughn up 11-7, and forced T.R. Miller to call a timeout to regroup.

 

Following the timeout, T.R. Miller went on a 10-2 rally that put them out front 19-16.

 

Straughn wasn’t going away, though, and they stepped up to tie the game up at 20-20.

 

T.R. Miller finished the contest with a 5-1 rally to complete the three-game sweep with a 25-20 win.

 

“I thought we really made a run there to win the first one,” Straughn coach Daniel Rodgers said. “The second and third games could have gone either way. T.R. Miller is a tremendous team, and I was proud of the way our girls competed. They never gave up they just stayed out there and continued to fight. We came out with more energy in the second game, and I think that is because we built confidence in that first game and we realized that we could play with these girls. We just have to start capitalizing on our chances.”

 

Also in action against T.R. Miller, were Straughn’s middle school and junior varsity volleyball squads.

 

The middle school team lost to T.R. Miller 25-9 and 25-20. The junior varsity squad fell 25-8 and 25-11.

 

Straughn will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Goshen.