HAWKINS -- Strong finishes to the first two games propelled Beckville to a decisive 26-24, 25-20, 25-16 sweep of Fruitvale in Tuesday's Class A Region III volleyball quarterfinal at Hawkins High School.

The win sends Beckville to the 1A Region III tournament Friday in Longview, where the Ladycats (23-11) play No. 3 Jewett Leon at 4 p.m. in a regional semifinal.

Shelbi Dodson had a big night with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Beckville teammate Ivy Rieke had seven kills, seven blocks, seven digs, and three aces to pace the Ladycats.

Beckville erased a 23-21 deficit in Game 1, getting back-to-back Dodson kills to tie the match, before answering a kill from Fruitvale's Karen Crane with three consecutive points sparked by a Rieke kill to take a 1-0 match lead. Beckville jumped to a 15-6 Game 2 lead before Crane and Sarah Johnston led a Fruitvale charge that resulted in a 19-17 lead.

But Beckville again responded with its back to the wall. Trailing 20-19, Taylor Lindsay had two kills and Kimber Wesner served two aces in a 6-0 run that ended Game 2 for a 2-0 match edge.

Beckville coach Cherry Downs praised her team's ability to finish strong in those first two sets when the Ladycats' needed to most.

"Tonight, knowing that this is a much more important game, I feel like they stepped up their game and played the way they had to play," Downs said. "They really did a good job of coming together in the moments that they needed to."

Lindsay joined Dodson and Rieke with a huge effort of 10 kills, 14 digs, and two aces. Maya Bradford added 10 digs and five aces, while Emma Smith led Beckville with 18 assists.

Crane had five kills and two aces for Fruitvale, which got five kills and four blocks from Hannah Sheppard. Emma Shaw had 14 assists.

Beckville gained a 10-0 Game 3 lead that shrunk to 18-14 before a Fruitvale net violation sparked a match-ending 7-2 spurt that included two Dodson kills and two Rieke blocks.

Fruitvale's Emma Shaw sets the ball during a three-game loss to Beckville on Tuesday. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Fruitvale's Emma Shaw sets the ball during a three-game loss to Beckville on Tuesday. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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