PEARCY -- With junior Lexi Castillow playing the important libero position, Greenwood is one of the favorites in the Class 6A volleyball tournament this week.
The Lady Bulldogs are 30-6 after Wednesday's 3-0 quarterfinal victory over tournament host Lake Hamilton, Greenwood's 16th consecutive victory. With Castillow setting for 6-4 senior Madi Pfeifer and a powerful front line, Greenwood came off a first-round bye and walloped the youthful Lady Wolves 25-11, 25-12, 25-14.
A cancer survivor, Castillow wires it all together physically and emotionally for the Sebastian County team.
"Do you know her story?" Greenwood coach Jennifer Goldern asked reporters before filling in the details.
Profiled as a seventh-grader in a national volleyball magazine, Castillow plays without a right kneecap and part of a lung because of cancer. Though taking regular chemotheraphy treatments, she has not slowed down, repeatedly going to the floor to sustain rallies against a Lake Hamilton team playing on its home court and coming off a 3-0 victory over West Memphis in Tuesday's tournament opener.
By demanding so much of herself, Castillow inspires her teammates, none of whom, Goldern said, dares let up in practice or in games.
Thumping her chest, Goldern says of Castillow, "She's got it deep inside."
Her coach sees no reason Castillow shouldn't play college volleyball, saying, "People are stupid if they don't give her a chance."
Although fellow 6A-West members, Greenwood and Lake Hamilton met Wednesday for the only time all season.
"They're always good," Lady Wolf coach Karen Smith said. "Our kids started out today with the jitters because they knew they were playing a No. 1 (seeded) team."
Goldern said her team can "play better," also coming out jittery against the fifth-seeded tournament host. "But we took care of business," she said. "We had two good practices yesterday and Monday."
Sophomore Jenny Peake and senior Destiny Rayno each had four kills for Lake Hamilton, sophomore Allison Trantham adding three and senior Courtney Erby two.
Greenwood jumped ahead 9-2 in the first game and led 14-3 and 16-5. Senior Hannah Johnston served three straight winners for 21-8 and Greenwood ended the game with two points from senior Makenzie Presley.
Lake Hamilton stayed within 9-7 in the second game before four straight points by Presley. Junior Brooke Shortes served three in a row for 21-10 and the Bulldogs went out with sophomore Regan Scrifes serving.
Peake's third-game kill got the home fans roaring, but after a Greenwood time-out, the Lady Bulldogs scored 12 of the game's last 15 points, three in a row by junior Lillian Pugh.
Greenwood faces East No. 2 seed Jonesboro at 1 p.m. in today's first semifinal at Wolf Arena. Greenwood, playing at home, defeated Jonesboro in a four-game quarterfinal last year, then downed Mountain Home before losing 3-0 to Marion in the championship game. The 6A final (3 p.m.) is one of five championship matches Saturday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs.
"We have high expectations for ourselves," said Goldern, whose team has only three seniors.
But one Greenwood player fights greater battles on a daily basis. Though she stands only 5 foot, 1 inch, everyone looks up to Lexi Castillow.
Sports on 10/27/2016