CARTERVILLE – The SIRR Conference Preview Tournament kicked off Thursday, August 28th and Carterville split their opening two matches, beating DuQuoin and losing to Massac County in three sets apiece. The Lions moved to 2-1 on the season, still yet to begin regular season conference play.

The Lions got off to a hot start against DuQuoin in their home opener, jumping out to a 7-3 lead thanks to back-to-back kills from juniors Layla Yates and Mia Congiardo. Carterville rode this momentum to take the first set 25-23. The second set was all DuQuoin from the start, with the Indians taking an 11-2 lead, forcing a Lions timeout. The Indians weathered a Lions rally, holding on to win the set 25-23, forcing a third set. Carterville rallied back to win the third and final set 15-13, taking them to 2-0 on the season.

Massac County, a year removed from winning conference, was the team to beat going into the tournament. Carterville played an extremely close first set against the Patriots, but fell just short, losing 26-24. The beginning of the second set made the first look like a fluke, with the Patriots firing on all cylinders, keeping a steady lead throughout. Carterville fought back to take a 19-18 lead, using that momentum to win the set 26-24. The Lions fought the entire third set also, just barely falling short 15-12, making for the team’s fist loss of the season.

Carterville’s next tournament game takes place on Saturday, August 30th, and is against the Redbirds of West Frankfort. For updates on everything Carterville athletics, follow @Lion_Ath_CHS on Instagram and @CHS_Lion_Ath on Twitter/X.