HAR-BER TOPS BENTONVILLE BEHIND THOMPSON'S 34 KILLS

SPRINGDALE -- Springdale Har-Ber gave coach Shyrah Schisler the perfect birthday gift. The Lady Wildcats took down 7A-West leading Bentonville in five sets (25-27, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13) Tuesday, winning their seventh consecutive match while snapping the Lady Tigers' 16-match win streak that started late August. "They've really come through and overcome a lot of adversity," Schisler said of her team. "We may not be big, but we found ways to play big, and I think at this time of the year that's what you want to be doing." Tuesday also marked the second time in as many seasons the Lady Wildcats have beaten a team ranked nationally on MaxPreps on their home floor. "We want to play our kind of volleyball," Schisler said. "Once we do that, we settle in and do things we know we can do. I love being the underdog -- always been the underdog. It just motivates us more to get better and better every game." Har-Ber was led by senior and Ole Miss commit Lauren Thompson, who, pregame, received a plaque commemorating her 1,000th career kill. Thompson followed that up by recording a career-best 34 kills in the win. Thompson had family in attendance to witness her accept the award and drive Har-Ber to its 22nd win of the season and move within a game of Bentonville (9-1 7A-West) in the league standings. "I was really excited for this game because it's a big opponent," Thompson said. "The setters were giving me good balls, and changing up the middles and what they were running was throwing off their blockers, I think, and I had a lot of holes." Thompson capped her special night with the match-winning kill in the fifth set after a pair of impressive defensive plays from Loren Whedbee, who finished with nine digs. The Lady Wildcats battled back in an error-riddled final set from 5-2 down to claim the match. "I told the girls, I think, through all the sets that defense in going to win the game," Schisler said. "I love to see when the kids believe, step in and do what we ask them to do, and they had the confidence to do that against a very, very good Bentonville team." For the Lady Tigers, Emma Palasak recorded a team-high 22 kills to go along with 14 digs. Tymber Riley added 25 digs and 15 kills as well, including impressive stretches in the third and fourth sets.

HAR-BER TOPS BENTONVILLE BEHIND THOMPSON'S 34 KILLS

Photo Credit: JT Wampler

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