The Bloomfield Lady Wildcats celebrate after winning their first game in a match against Clearwater at the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 tournament in Bloomfield on Monday night. (Alex Abate/DAR)

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

BLOOMFIELD -- Up 12-6, third seed Bloomfield was looking to put away sixth-seeded Clearwater in the first game of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 opening round Monday in Bloomfield.

In stepped Lindsay Levitt.

Levitt started serving with the team up 14-7 and served out the rest of the match as the Lady Wildcats got 11 straight with Levitt behind the line to win the game and went on to win the match, 25-7, 25-17.

Bloomfield will now face Puxico in the semifinals after the Lady Indians downed Charleston. Jessica White and Megan Pulley led the Lady Wildcats with seven kills each. Levitt had four kills while Taylor Parker added three.

"The girls played really well tonight," Bloomfield coach Starla Pulley said. "They have been, not in a slump but not really playing as a cohesive team and today they played well as a team."

Clearwater finished the year at 7-13-2 and started playing at its best just a few weeks early, coach Rae Jean Fuchs said.

"The biggest thing is, you are supposed to peak those last few weeks of the season, and we didn't," Fuchs said. "Instead of progressing, we regressed."

Levitt, who had multiple aces during her serving stretch of the first game, said she usually just tries to concentrate on accuracy when serving.

"I usually serve really soft so I can get my serves in so I don't have to serve at practice," Levitt said jokingly. "I just felt like serving hard tonight and I just switched it up because they had a big hole in the middle."

Bloomfield was encouraged throughout the run with Levitt's positive momentum.

"She has a really good serve," coach Starla Pulley said. "The first game, she was really consistent with that."

Before the run, Clearwater had a 5-4 lead Bloomfield came right back with solid serving, this time from Taylor Pulley who served four straight points to get the Lady Wildcats up 9-5 and establish the early separation.

Bloomfield jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second game but Clearwater fought back and even took a 8-7 lead on a Taylor Pulley shot that went awry on serve-receive. However, a pair of kills by Erica Wyatt and Megan Pulley helped 15-8 lead.

"Our hitting was much better tonight than it has been, our girls have kind of been off with their hitting," coach Starla Pulley said. "We had really good passes, our sets were good and our hitters were on."

Clearwater closed Bloomfield's lead to 16-13 in the second game but the Lady Wildcats were able to answer with four out of the next five points as they went on to win the game and the match.

"Passes weren't there," Fuchs said. "When you can't get a pass, you sure as heck can't get a set and you can't get a hit, passes were just off."

Fuchs said her squad wasn't dialed in from the beginning of the night.

"We did not come ready to play," Fuchs said. "In the first round of the district tournament, when you do not come ready to play, obviously, you are not going to win."

The Lady Wildcats will now face Puxico at 5:30 p.m. today and the Lady Indians have the 2-1 season edge in the matchup.

"That is one thing with our girls, being able to come out and be focused and stay focused throughout the whole game," coach Starla Pulley said. "I am hoping our girls come out with the same intensity that they did tonight."