PINEDALE – The fourth set of the Oct. 19 conference game between the Pinedale High School Lady Wrangler volleyball team and the Lander Lady Tigers reached a 19-19 stalemate.

Lander won the first set before the Lady Wranglers rallied to triumph in the second and third sets. The fourth set came down to the wire as Pinedale battled for the win and the Lady Tigers fought to force the game into a tiebreaker.

Senior Ana Mika spiked over a powerful kill, pulling Pinedale ahead, 20-19. Mika followed up with a block and the Lady Wranglers led, 22-20.

Senior Trista Covill scored point 23 with a kill. Fellow senior Ashley Boulter bumped point 24 into Lander territory.

The Lady Tigers managed to score. Pinedale sophomore Alyxis White responded with a kill, assisted by senior Reagan Davis, to post game point, 25-23.

Pinedale’s fourth-set win resulted in the Lady Wranglers’ 3-1 victory against Lander at the final home conference game of the 2023 regular season.

The Lady Wranglers’ triumph against Lander also secured for Pinedale the No. 3 seed in one of the toughest quadrants in the 3A Conference that includes the 2022 state champion and runnerup, Mountain View and Lyman, respectively.

As a result, the Lady Wranglers will play Worland, the No. 2 seed in the Northwest Quadrant, in the opening game of the 3A West Regional Volleyball Tournament in Lander on Oct. 27-28. Pinedale hits the court against Worland at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

Pinedale rounded out its regular season on the road against 3A East rival Rawlins on Saturday, Oct. 28. The Lady Wranglers crushed the Lady Outlaws in a clean sweep, 3-0.

Lander

The first set established the tone for a closely fought match.

The Lady Tigers led early in the set until Pinedale matched Lander in scoring at 7 points with a pair of aces by White. Kills by Covill placed the Lady Wranglers ahead at 9 points and tied the set again at 11 points.

Following a deadlock at 12 points, Covill delivered a kill to retake the initiative, 13-12. A pair of kills by White led to a tie at 15 points.

Lander edged ahead to control the scoreboard for the remainder of the set, despite an ace by junior Madeline Hawke and kills from Covill and White. The Lady Tigers scored game point, 25-22.

The lead bounced back and forth across the court early in the second set. Mika closed the gap with a kill to tie the set at 7 points. A block by Covill put Pinedale back in the lead.

Lander scored and the second set reached a stalemate, 8-8.

The Lady Wranglers regained the initiative with a kill by Covill and Pinedale remained ahead for the rest of the set. Covill tallied two more kills. White slammed over a kill and aced a serve. Mika completed a pair of kills, including game point, 25-16.

Pinedale dominated the third set. Junior Gabby Rogers served up two aces. Fellow junior Mae McGuire totaled two kills, White posted three, Mika two with one apiece from Covill and Hawke.

Davis aced a serve and made a block. Covill, McGuire and Hawke each contributed a block. Hawke’s block resulted in game point, 25-16.

The game came down to the high-stakes fourth set. White pulled the Lady Wranglers ahead, 5-3, with a pair of kills. Lander took over at 6 points but lost the lead when it sent the ball out of bounds.

White aced a serve and the Lady Wranglers regained the initiative, 7-6. Lander struck out twice and Pinedale maintained the lead with kills from McGuire and Covill.

The set reached a stalemate at 13 points following a kill by White. Lander struck out twice in a row and White spiked over another kill. Davis tipped over a point and White delivered another kill.

The Lady Tigers matched Pinedale in scoring at 19 points. A kill by Mika placed the Lady Wranglers ahead, 20-19. Mika made a block, Covill slammed over a kill, Boulter bumped up a point and a kill from White led to game point, 25-23.

Rawlins

The Lady Wranglers soundly won the first set, 25-11. Covill posted two kills with one each from McGuire and Mika. Mika, White and Rogers each aced a serve. White made two blocks with Davis and Hawke each contributing one.

Pinedale controlled the second set through game point, 25-21. Rogers provided excellent coverage in the back court with deep digs throughout the set.

Covill delivered three kills, White and Mika two apiece and Hawke one. White aced two serves and McGuire made a block.

Following a brief tie at 4 points in the third set, Pinedale maintained the initiative through game point, 25-19.

Covill posted four kills with White and Mika both adding three. Hawke powered over a kill and Davis scored with a set. White aced a serve and McGuire made a block. Sophomore Erin Murphy served up an ace.