<font color="red"><b>No. 12 Pottsboro gets by Gunter in five</b></font>

Gunter -- This one had all the markings of a potential thriller. It turned out to be that and more.

Not only did it take five games to separate the Pottsboro Lady Cards and the Gunter Lady Tigers, but it required an 18-16 win in the tiebreaker for No. 12 Pottsboro to remain undefeated in district action.

High-flying Kristy Townsend slams a kill past the Gunter defender. photo by Jamie Crews

Tuesday night's contest two very athletic district rivals and Gunter had defeated Pottsboro in a season-opening tournament. That set the stage for an interesting first-round battle in district play.

Gunter served notice in game one that their state-ranked opponent would have to earn this one. The Lady Tigers thrilled the Gunter fans by winning game one, 25-17.

But Pottsboro hadn't put 20 games in the win column by coasting to a stop when the competition gets the upper hand. The Lady Cards shifted gears and raced by Gunter in the next two games, 25-21 and 25-12.

Lyndsi Crews sends a pass to her setter. photo by Jamie Crews

When Gunter answered the challenge with a tough 25-22 victory in game four, fan of both these proud programs knew they were in for something special. So the Lady Cards and the Lady Tigers gave 'em what they came to see.

Just as they had done all night, Gunter and Pottsboro battled point-for-point in the tiebreaker. The teams faced each other at the net with the score all knotted up at 15-15 and then again at 16-16. But in a night of important points, Pottsboro put the biggest two points of the match is the scorebook and headed home with a wild 18-16 win in the tiebreaker.

Reagan Hayes hits the floor to save this dig. photo by Jamie Crews

"This was a great game!" exclaimed Pottsboro head coach Sandy Jones. "The first game our nerves got the best of us, especially with most of my girls being first-year varsity players. I thought my girls really stepped it up...not only in the physical aspect, but in the mental aspect of the game. I am really proud of them!!!"

The Lady Cardinals (21-5, 5-0) will travel to Bells to play Friday night. The varsity match will begin at 4:30 p.m.