The Fort Stockton Prowlers volleyball team returned to the friendly confines of the Bill and Virginia Williams Special Events Center on Tuesday evening for their first regular-season home match of the season after a respectable performance over the weekend at the Monahans Tournament. In Monahans, the Prowlers fell in straight sets to Amarillo Palo Duro and Odessa Permian before taking down Fabens, Crane and Coahoma in straight sets, and falling to Amarillo Caprock in three.

At 4-4, overall, the Prowlers took on the Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen who, at 5-6 were riding a 2-match win streak coming in, and Fort Stockton led 2-1 before the Lady Plainsman rallied to win in five sets.

The Prowlers dropped the first set, 25-20, won the next two 2520 and 25-22 before dropping the final two 25-23 and 15-6. The loss brings Fort Stockton to 4-5 on the season.

Monterey opened game one with a 4-0 advantage, which they increased to as much as four and maintained that advantage before the Prowlers rallied to tie the game twice at 15-15 and 17-17. But Monterey clamped down to win going away.

Game two saw a determined Prowlers pull ahead 7-3 behind the serving of junior Mia Garcia and senior Aryanna Gonzalez, but Monterey rallied to a 6-point advantage before Fort Stockton went on a huge run.

Down 19-13, Gonzalez took the serve and led the Prowlers on a 12-1 run to win the game, 25-20.

In the third game, senior Alyssa Rangel served up a 3-0 lead and the game was tied five times before the Prowlers pulled ahead 12-10 with strong play at the net by Garcia, Amaya Urias, Sophia Hernandez, and Elina Montes. The Plainsmen regained the lead by as much as four, but Fort Stockton ended the game with a 9-4 run to win it. García had a pair of kills in the final run.

The Prowlers played from behind in each of the final two games of the match, with strong play at the net by Ivanna Ortiz, Urias with strong defense and a service ace by Ortiz that brought Fort Stockton to within two in game four. Hernandez added a block in the final set.

*In the gold bracket at the Monahans Tournament last weekend, the Prowler junior varsity team was unsuccessful in defeating district foe Greenwood and

Amaya Urias defends the net during Tuesday’s 5-set loss to Lubbock Monterey. Photo by Shawn Yorks secured a fourth-place finish, while the freshman team came out as the runners up of the gold bracket, pushing a tough Midland Legacy team to three sets, but were unable to clinch first place.

* With a change of schedule, the Prowler Varsity Volleyball team will compete in the Nita Vannoy Memorial Volleyball Tournament in San Angelo on Aug. 18-19.

The volleyball tournament is set to take place throughout the City of San Angelo with various locations being utilized for pool and bracket play. Fort Stockton will compete in “Pool 5”, which is set for San Angelo Central High School. The Prowlers schedule for pool play is as follows: 2 p.m. vs. San Angelo Central, 5 p.m. vs. Plainview and 7 p.m. vs. Del Rio.

Fans who are interested in attending the tournament should note the following information:

-1-day passes are $8 for an adult and $4 for a student; -2-day passes are $12 for an adult and $6 for a student; -Single game passes are $4 for an adult and $2 for a student Passes must be presented each time at each location to be admitted to the tournament.

Sera Ramirez contributed to this report