The Big Sandy Lady Pioneers volleyball squad traveled Monday, Oct. 14, to Hays and picked up their first road win in 6C East district play.

Big Sandy improved to 2-6 in the league and 3-8 overall in match play. The Pioneers defeated the host Hays-Lodgepole Thunderbirds 25-20, (17-25), 25-13 and 25-10 in the evening contest.

Senior Lainey Gregory led the Lady Pioneers' effort with a team-high 10 kills and four service aces. Junior Alicia Bjornestad recorded two of her team's three blocks on the night and joined freshman Laynee Ophus in registering four kills. Senior Stacey Allderdice and freshman Tavie Wortman shared a team high of 10 digs.

Though the win is appreciated, Pioneers coach Brittany McKenney said the girls could have had a sweep of the match in straight sets had they played up to their potential.

"We dropped the second set, which was frustrating. I think we got too comfortable and started making mistakes, which ultimately cost us," McKenney said late last week. "However, we came back very strong the last two sets. We continue improving and I'm very excited to see how we perform in our last two matches of the season."

The Lady Pioneers are scheduled to wrap up the regular season with a pair of matches in their home gymnasium this week. Big Sandy welcomes the Chester-Joplin-Inverness Hi-Line Hawks, with a junior varsity match slated for 6 p.m. Thursday and varsity set to begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of that match. The regular season finale is a visit from the Box Elder Bears, who narrowly defeated the Pioneers in their earlier match up north on Highway 87. The JV match with the Bears is set for 6 p.m. Friday with the varsity to start 20 minutes after its end.

The 6C East district tournament will take place next week in Gildford. The top three of the district's six teams will advance to divisionals in Belt. The Lady Pioneers currently hold the No. 5 seed in the district, with Chinook leading the league, followed by North Star, Box Elder and C-J-I. Hays-Lodgepole is in the sixth position, entering the final two league matches of the regular season.