Despite losing their first set in the semifinals of the 6A West Conference Tournament Tuesday, the Benton Lady Panthers would win the next three at Benton Arena to advance to the West title game. The No. 2 seed Lady Panthers defeated the No. 3 seed Siloam Springs Lady Panthers 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 26-24) on Tuesday and will travel to Greenwood to face the No. 1 Lady Bulldogs in the West championship Saturday at 2 p.m.
“We were very nervous and that was obvious,” Benton Coach Brandy Chumley said of the back-and-forth, first-set loss. “We weren’t playing aggressive, our passes were everywhere, our blocks. I’ve been saying we have to be big at the net to come together and close those blocks.”
Benton would clean things up in the second set as they took a 4-1 lead with three kills from senior Rylea Brimhall, all assisted by senior setter Caitlin Murdock. The Lady Panthers pushed their lead in the second set to 8-4 after senior Lauren Hopper put down a kill assisted by sophomore Lydia Buchanan.
Senior Kaylee “Birdie” Croushore had an ace to put Benton up 15-10 and the Lady Panthers were up 20-17 before going on a 4-0 run, highlighted by a Croushore ace, and a Brimhall and Murdock kill, before a Siloam Springs error sealed the win for Benton.
Though the Lady Panthers handled Siloam in the second set, the third set returned to the back-and-forth action it was in the first set. Benton was down 11-7 before a 3-0 run capped by senior Madi Mehlin’s point made it a 1-point game, and down 14-11, another 3-0 run capped by a Buchanan kill tied it up at 14-14.
The Lady Panthers were down 17-15 after Siloam senior captain Shaylon Sharp had one of her many kills on the day, but Benton responded with a 4-0 run which had two Hopper kills and a Mehlin ace for the 19-17 Lady Panther lead.
Sharp would tie it up at 20-20, but Croushore responded with a kill and Benton scored 5 of the next 6 points and Brimhall’s kill assisted by Murdock would net the win and 2-1 match lead.