The Lady Wildcats of Joseph City opened the volleyball season with an easy three-game win over Alchesay, 25-11, 25-9 and 25-11, in a match played on Aug. 31.
This past weekend, they joined 20 other teams at the Payson Invitational.
Competing in pool play on Friday, the Lady Wildcats beat Blue Ridge, 25-24, Wickenburg, 30-23, Holbrook, 27-24, Miami, 29-22, and Page, 30-26. Their only pool play loss came against the host team Payson, 30-20.
At the completion of pool play, the Lady Cats finished tied with Blue Ridge and Payson with one loss each. With each team having beaten the other, the Lady Wildcats lost on tiebreakers and fell to third place in the black pool. In cross over pool play, Joseph City lost to Mingus, 26-22, then beat Coconino, 30-22.
Joseph City entered the championship bracket seeded eighth. In bracket play the Lady Cats again defeated Coconino, 25-19, 12-25 and 25-22. They then fell in their final two matches, losing to Mogollon, 25-17 and 25-19, and to Safford, 23-18 and 25-16.
Overall, the Lady Wildcats finished ninth in the 21-team field.
“I expected to finish sixth or seventh in just our pool. We blocked very well and put the ball away,” said a pleased Coach Darrel Mosier.
Joseph City’s Harlie Blosser was selected to the All-Tournament team.
The Lady Wildcats have a busy week planned. After playing Alchesay in Whiteriver on Tuesday, they were slated to host neighboring Holbrook on Wednesday, travel to Heber to meet Mogollon on Thursday, then compete in the Round Valley tournament today and Saturday (Sept. 9 and 10).
