CPHS Volleyball: Mutiri scores 15 kills in 3-0 upset loss to No. 20 Bixby

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The No. 20 ranked Bixby Spartans (8-13) hosted No. 12 Sand Springs (8-12) Tuesday evening at the Whitey Ford Sports Complex and sent the Sandites home with a 3-0 loss. The Sandites slipped to 2-5 in Frontier Valley Conference standings while Bixby improved to 4-3 with the upset sweep.

Bixby 3 CPHS 0
Set One: 25-21 Bixby
Set Two: 25-22 Bixby
Set Three: 25-22 Bixby

Kills: Bixby 40, CPHS 25.
Blocks: CPHS 4, Bixby 3.
Aces: Bixby 9, CPHS 3.
Service Errors: Bixby 4, CPHS 2.

(CPHS Individual Stats)
Kills: Mutiri 15, Cypert 3, Neely 3, Wyrick 2, Madison Ward 1, Burris 1.
Assists: Burris 20, Mong 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 4.
Digs: Mutiri 6, Madison Ward 4, Wise 1, Blaylock 1, Cypert 1, Makenzie Ward 1, Wyrick 1.

(Bixby Individual Stats)
Kills: Little 11, Justus 10, Childs 8, Hayles 7, Clark 2, Roth 2.
Assists: Roth 11, Clark 10, Roper 3, Childs 1.
Aces: Hoffman 3, Little 3, Childs 1, Davis 1, Roth 1.
Blocks: Hayles 2, Little 2, Childs 1, Clark 1. 

All three games were fairly close, but the Sandites were low on offense and slow on defense, amounting to losses of 25-21, 25-22, and 25-22. Gloria Mutiri led all scorers with fifteen kills and four blocks, while Madison Burris did the bulk of the setting for the Sandites, recording 20 assists. Kayla Little and Gaby Justus both broke double digits for the Spartan offense.

It seemed like the Sandites would have a typical, successful night at first. Cloe Campfield started off the match with an ace. Sophie Childs scored a kill to tie things up, then Chelsea Neely took the lead back for Sand Springs. Emma Clark hit back-to-back kills to tie it at 3-3, but Mutiri helped push the Sandites back out front to 7-4. The Spartans took a 9-8 lead with a pair of aces from Little, the game tied again at 9-9, then Bixby took the lead once and for all with a kill from Justus. 

For ten-straight rallies neither team could score back-to-back points and the Sandites were right behind their foes at 18-16, then Bixby went on a five-point run with a kill from Sydney Hayles and an ace from Josie Hoffman. The ball was in the Sandites' court, and they tried their best to undo the damage. Mutiri, Justus, and Neely exchanged kills and Mutiri scored a block, but Childs secured the 25-21 win for the home team. 

The second set was equally competitive, but this time it was the home team who took the initial lead with an ace from Hoffman. Neely tied it at 1-1, Mutiri tied it at 2-2, and Makenna Cypert tied it at 17-17, but Sand Springs never once took the lead. Bixby ultimately prevailed 25-22.

Campfield gave the Sandites another 1-0 lead with an ace in set three, but Skyler Roth aced for the Spartans to tie it at 2-2. The teams exchanged consecutive contact points, then Callie Davis scored an ace for the 4-3 Spartan lead. The game tied at 6-6 with a kill from Mutiri, 11-11 on a Spartan error, 13-13 on a kill from Vanessa Wyrick, and 20-20 with a block from Mutiri. 

Bixby led by as much as 20-16 before Mutiri blocked, Madison Ward aced, and Mutiri blocked again to tie it up. Sand Springs gave up a point on an error, but Mutiri took it right back with a spike to the face of Justus. Hayles avenged her comrade's pride with a kill for the lead, and the Spartans never looked back, securing the 25-22 win with an ace from Hoffman to complete the upset. 

The Lady Sandites will look to bounce back from the loss when they travel to the Stillwater tournament this Friday. The Spartans will travel to Ponca City (11-10) this Thursday where they hope to avenge a 3-0 loss from the Norman tournament earlier this season.