Clovis’ Lainey Flatow tips the ball over Lashondra Ray of Lubbock Estacado during Tuesday’s match at Rock Staubus Gym.

The Clovis High volleyball team overcame a six-point deficit in the fourth game with a 12-1 surge and the Lady Wildcats nailed down a 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21 victory over Lubbock Estacado on Tuesday night at Rock Staubus Gym.

The Lady Cats (5-2) defeated Estacado for the second time this year, having beaten the Lady Matadors in four games during their season-opening invitational in late August at The Rock.

Senior Lainey Flatow had 11 kills, junior Antiesha Brown added 10 kills and junior Delaney Ware contributed seven kills and two blocks for Clovis.
After getting off to a fast start, the Lady Cats struggled in Game 2 as Estacado pulled even.

“We just missed serves at the worst possible time,” CHS coach Darrel Ray said. “We missed two of three serves (in one stretch) with Lainey on the front row. We allowed them to build a lead and we just couldn’t catch them.

“They were hurting us with their short serve; we hadn’t seen that the last time we played, but we just didn’t allow those points in games 3 and 4.”

The Lady Cats regained control in the third game, building a 15-8 lead and not allowing the Lady Mats to get closer than four points the rest of the way.

Estacado, though, opened a 16-10 margin in the fourth game with six unanswered points before the Lady Cats mounted their comeback.

Freshman Alek Mendoza’s kill forced a sideout. Antiesha Brown then made it 16-12 with an ace.

Flatow had three kills in a four-point sequence to put the Lady Cats in front 19-17. Ware came up with a block, and two Estacado errors capped the run.

“They’ve got some athletic girls,” Ray said. “They made some big blocks tonight.

“I like what we did offensively, but we’re going to have to be a little sharper.”

Clovis returns to action this weekend in the 16-team Tournament of Champions in Santa Fe. The Lady Cats are bracketed with Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe Capital and Espanola Valley in pool play.

Bracket play begins with quarterfinals later Friday, with semifinals and the final round on tap Saturday.