The Sidney Lady Raider volleyball team improved to 8-1 on the season with wins over Chadron and Bridgeport at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility on Tuesday night. Chadron went to 4-3 on the season, going 1-1 in the triangular, while Bridgeport fell to 6-5 with a pair of losses.

In the first match, Sidney took on Chadron, and the Cardinals bolted out to a 6-1 lead in the first set. Every time Sidney got close Chadron responded and pulled away until Sidney tied the set at 16. The first set remained close as the score was tied at 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. The Cardinals finished off the first set for a 26-24 win.

The second set started as a mirror of the first. Chadron jumped out to a 6-2 lead and stretched it to 11-6 before Sidney caught fire. Two kills from Morgan Jaggers and a pair of ace serves from Emma Wintholz gave Sidney a 12-11 lead. With the set tied at 15, the Lady Raiders went on a 7-1 run to take control of the set and even the match with a 25-19 win.

In the third set, neither team could establish any momentum, and traded points to 18-18. A pair of kills from Karly Sylvester and two from Morgan Jaggers, sparked a 7-1 run to close out the Cardinals with a 24-26, 25-19, 25-19 win.

The second match of the night was all Chadron. The Bridgeport Bulldogs never found a rhythm, as the Cardinals sprinted to an 18-2 lead in the first set, and a 19-2 lead in the second. Chadron finished off a quick second match with a 25-7, 25-7 win over Bridgeport to go 1-1 in the triangular. In the match, Chadron’s Tatum Bailey led the Cardinals with 7 kills and hit a blazing .778 for the match. Chadron out hit Bridgeport 20-6 and hit .452 as a team. Bridgeport hit -.222 in the match.

In the nightcap, what many thought would be a repeat of the Chadron/Bridgeport match, turned out to be a dog fight. Sidney got four kills each from Karly Sylvester and Morgan Jaggers to hold off the Bulldogs 25-18 in the first set.

Sidney raced to a 19-12 lead in the second set behind 5 kills from Emma Wintholz, only to see Bridgeport pound down 6 kills on a 13-3 run to take the set 25-22.

Neither team could generate any momentum in the third set until Sidney went on a 11-2 after trailing 9-8. The Lady Raiders got 6 kills from Alecca Campbell in the set to close the match with a 25-18, 22-25, 25-18 win. Sidney was led by Karly Sylvester’s 12 kills while Bridgeport was paced by Ruthie Loomis-Goltl’s team high 11 kills.

Sidney defeats Chadron – 24-26, 25-19, 25-19

Chadron defeats Bridgeport – 25-7, 25-7

Sidney defeats Bridgeport – 25-18, 22-25, 25-18