Lady Cats Paws For A Cause Benefit Game: $5,650 Raised

Edmonson Tops Butler 3-1

Avie Lynn Williams, Paws For A Cause benefit recipient.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cat Volleyball team hosted the Butler County Lady Bears at home on Tuesday, but it wasn't just a regular district match up; it was a benefit called "Paws For A Cause" to raise money for two year-old Avie-Lynn Williams, who began treatments for her high risk B Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia upon her diagnosis in March, and will continue her treatments through the summer of 2025.

There was a silent auction where items such as UK basketball and Nashville Predator tickets, rocking chairs, handmade blankets, etc. were donated. A total of $5,650 was raised for the Williams family, who decided to donate $2,500 of that to the Faulkner family, for the recent sudden passing of the Lady Cats teammate's father, Shawn Faulkner, according to Head Coach Christine Barrett.

The Lady Cats won in a 3-1 match last night where they started out on fire, burning Butler with a 25-7 win in set one.

Senior Riley Monroe prepares to hit the ball.

At the start of the second set, things didn't look as promising for the Lady Cats as they did in set one. Edmonson made several errors and were down by a rather large margin through most of the set. However, they found their way to much needed points and were able to start a comeback towards the end of the set. It wasn't enough to take the set back from Butler, resulting in a 21-25 loss for Edmonson.

Senior Sydney Hennion back sets a teammate.

The Lady Cats came back to the third set much stronger and more prepared than the second set. With much needed kills and strong serves from Edmonson, Butler was only able to put up 11 total points on the scoreboard. Edmonson won set three 25-11. The fourth set was much of the same, and the Lady Cats won 25-13, resulting in a 3-1 Edmonson County win.

Senior Middle Hitter Avary Vertrees goes for one of her seven kills.

Senior Middle Hitter Avary Vertrees led the Lady Cats in kills with a total of seven. Brooklyn Simon had six, Josie Lich and Riley Monroe each had five, Madison Bullock had two, and Alivia Mabrey and Sydney Hennion each had one. Libero Ryann Davis led the team in digs with 16, Mabrey and Julie Norris each had three, Josie Lich had four, Simon and Bailey Ferguson had two each, and Averie Hill had one. The Lady Cats as a team had 30 service aces, with Mabrey having 12 of those herself.

Senior libero Ryann Davis digs against Butler County.

Head Coach Christine Barrett said that she could not be more proud of her players and the community.

"This fundraiser brought our team and community together for a night and it was amazing to witness. We couldn't have made last night happen without the help of our fantastic boosters and volunteers. We aren't just a team; we are a family, and we are capable of achieving greatness on and off the court."

The Lady Cats are now 4-10 on the season and are scheduled to take on Hart County at on the road tomorrow, September 14, 2023 at 5:30 pm.