It was Decatur's final non-district tuneup, and the Lady Eagles improved to 27-5. District play began Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with Vernon visiting Decatur. JV and freshmen started at 10:30.
Decatur took control of the first game with six straight points and led by as many as 11, 18-7.
Four Henrietta errors and kills from Ingrid Boatman and Sara Oxford contributed to the early lead.
Henrietta pulled within five, 19-14, before Decatur bounced back for a 25-16 win. Boatman scored twice during the final push, Oxford added one of her 17 kills, and Fleming Smurthwaite served one of her three aces.
Game two saw Henrietta lead the entire way, aided by a seven-point run after Decatur pulled within 11-10. The Lady Cats took it 25-18.
After an early tie 3-3, Decatur took charge of the third game with a 5-0 run to go up 13-7 and went on to win it 25-15 win. Oxford had three kills during the critical stretch and Boatman had one of her seven for the night. Lynzee Jordan added an ace.
Henrietta grabbed the early lead in the fourth game, 8-4, but Decatur fought back to tie it at 8-8, including two of Kourtney Tompkins' five aces. The teams were still tied at 12 each when the Lady Eagles reeled off five in a row and never relinquished the lead again, winning 25-17.
Tompkins had a kill and Oxford scored two kills and teamed with Kortni Robinson for a block to help gain the lead for good.
Tompkins ended the night with 10 kills and Robinson six. Annelise Carpenter and Oxford each were in on 11 blocked shots, along with seven from Boatman and five each by Smurthwaite and Tompkins. Tompkins paced the back row with 14 digs, Jordan and Carmen Cash nine apiece, Smurthwaite five and Oxford four.
Decatur fed off 33 assists from Smurthwaite and four by Robinson.
Coach Claire Rose said the Lady Eagles would have to play well to compete with a team like Henrietta, and despite not playing their best game, did what was needed to finish pre-district with a win.
"We know we still have a lot to work on to be at our best level, but this team doesn't expect or accept anything less," she said. "They continue to work hard day in and day out, and as a coach I couldn't be more thrilled with a group of young ladies with such wonderful attitudes."
