Volleyball: Permian takes third in Bronze Division

SAN ANGELO All in all, the Permian volleyball team was pretty happy Saturday after finishing in third place of the Bronze Division of the Nita Vannoy Invitational.

Permian opened the day with a 25-18, 18-25, 25-20 victory against Crane, avenging a loss from their season opener against the Class 2A team.

Revenge was short-lived, though, because Permian fell 25-23, 25-16 in the semifinals to El Paso Eastwood in the rematch of a consolation final from Friday's qualifying play.

Permian came back to outlast Midland Christian 25-21, 17-25, 25-23 to get third in the bracket.

"That's not the bracket we wanted to be in," Permian coach Robert Wills said. "But overall it's better than it's been in the past. In the past, we would have folded against these teams."

Permian (8-6) will jump into District 2-5A action Tuesday when the Lady Panthers play host to Midland Lee, which was the third-place finisher in the tournament's Gold Division.

Permian started slow Friday with a loss to Pecos and beat San Angelo Lake View before falling to Eastwood in three games in the first of the meetings between the programs over the weekend.

"We had highs and lows and hopefully we learned something," Wills said. "We've got to all contribute. We don't have one superstar. We've got to all be a part of it."

>> WINK GOES 1-1: As one of the smallest schools in the 40-team tournament, the Wink Lady Cats had to step up to the plate during the Nita Vannoy Invitational.

They went out with a second-round loss Saturday in the Silver Division, falling 25-18, 15-25, 25-18 to Class 4A school Amarillo Palo Duro.

However, Wink had opened the day with a 25-16, 21-25, 25-20 victory against Class 3A Lamesa and had beaten Class 4A Springtown on Friday. Springtown went on Saturday to win the Silver Division.

>> OTHER BASIN TEAMS: Andrews dropped a pair of matches to Springtown and Miles in the Silver Division.

Playing in the same bracket, Seminole lost to Palo Duro in the first round in three games before rebounding to beat Lamesa and Fabens for the consolation title.

Pecos, which finished second in its qualifying bracket Friday, went winless on the second day in the Gold Division. The Lady Eagles fell to rival Monahans before getting ousted by Kerrville Tivy 27-25, 25-20.