A week removed from their sweep over Dixon, Evin Farris’ Belle Lady Tiger volleyball team opened Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) action Thursday night against Viburnum’s Lady Blue Jays.

This also marked senior night for the Lady Tiger volleyball quartet of Gracie Schultz, Mikie Lough, Kenzi Cetroute and Olivia Sanders.

Leading throughout all three sets of senior-night volleyball, Belle could not get to 25 first before falling to the Lady Blue Jays in three sets 25-20, 25-22 and 25-20.

In game one, Schultz broke a 4-4 tie with three straight service points giving the Lady Tigers a 7-4 lead.

Tied at 14-14 later in game one, Sanders served three points in a row putting Belle in front 17-14 midway through the opening set.

Unable to overcome a number of errors later in the set, Farris’ Lady Tigers dropped the first set to the visitors from Viburnum.

Game two opened with Belle falling behind early 6-2.

After that, service points from Schultz, Sanders and a kill from Cetroute put Belle in front 8-7 near the midway point of the second set.

In spite of tying the second set five times, the Lady Tigers could not get the lead before falling behind two sets to none in the best three-out-of-five match.

Down 3-1 early in game three, a Cetroute kill sent Lough behind the service line now trailing 3-2.

Three consecutive service points put Belle in front 5-3 over the visitors from northern Iron County.

Trailing 7-5, a Viburnum attack error sent Sanders into service duty.

Serving the next three points after trailing 7-6, Sanders gave the Lady Tigers a 9-7 lead.

Later leading 12-11 on a Cetroute service point, Belle would not lead again before dropping the third set and the match.

Cetroute led the Lady Tigers with a team-high eight kills.

Belle will return to action tomorrow (Thursday) night traveling into Crawford County to face Cuba’s Lady Wildcats starting at 5 p.m.