Fort Stockton showed heart, but the Prowler volleyball team was unable to overcome a flurry of errors in a hard-fought loss to Seminole on Sept. 28 in their first district home game.

Fort Stockton fell in four sets (14-25, 25-18, 28-26, 25-20).

The Prowlers looked as good as they have all season in set one against Seminole at home on Sept. 28. Fort Stockton jumped out to a 13-1 lead and went on to secure a 25-14 first-set victory.

Arial Smith and Alyana Dominguez closed out the set with a block.

Seminole flipped the script and was as equally as dominant in the second set, winning 25-18 after a 19-9 lead midway through the set. The Prowlers closed the gap to 19-16 on a 7-0 run that featured blocks by Amaya Urias and Dominguez, a kill by Arial Smith, and an ace by Eliana Mata.

Seminole took advantage of three Prowler attack errors and recorded two kills to finish out the set.

The third set proved to be the decider in the match, taking extra points to determine who took the 2-1 lead. No team took a lead by more than six points the entire set, but the Maidens managed to fend off a late Prowlers rally to win the set 28-26.

Fort faced six consecutive match points with a 24-18 deficit and fought off all of them to tie it at 24-24. A Mata kill and numerous Seminole errors extended the match. Two service errors and an attack error aided the Maidens in closing out the set.

In the fourth set Fort Stockton fell behind 6-1 before rallying and tying the set at 14-14. Seminole took back their lead at 19-16 and the Maidens advantage stayed at least at three points or more the rest of the way.

Mata had a team-high three aces and 14 assists. Dominguez led the Prowlers in blocks (6) and kills (7). Jennika Paz paced Fort Stockton in digs with 26.

Fort Stockton lost every district contest a season ago and that streak has continued through two district games this season.

Fort Stockton’s record is now 19-10 heading into Saturday’s match at Greenwood.

Prowlers suffer defeat in district opener

The Fort Stockton volleyball team started district play with a loss on Saturday at Monahans.

The Prowlers forced a fourth set with a third-set victory but were unable to complete the comeback in the loss (25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23).

“The Prowlers battled fiercely through all four sets but came up short,” Fort Stockton head coach Gabrielle Harral said.

Dominguez led Fort Stockton in kills with 13 and added four blocks – the second-highest mark on the team. Ivanna Ortiz and Mata nearly split assists evenly with 13 and 10 respectively.

Mata had a team-high 17 digs and Arial Smith led all Prowlers in the block department with five.

The defeat snaps Fort Stockton’s five-game winning streak and moves the Prowlers record to 19-9.