THS (3-2) seemingly got off to a favorable start when it jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the first set, but the Bobcats responded with an 8-1 run to take their first lead of the night. The teams then battled to a 19-19 tie before BLHS closed out the set on a 6-1 scoring burst.

The Chieftains lost junior middle blocker Katelyn Waldeier in the opening set when she got entangled with another player at the net and rolled her ankle.

“Having Waldeier get hurt early in the match really hurt us,” coach Tiffany Parker said. “That really put more of the focus than usual on our outside hitters. When other teams know that’s who’s getting the ball, that hurts.”

The second set unfolded into a back-and-forth affair, as the teams battled to a 12-12 tie midway though the set. Basehor-Linwood scored the next three points, giving itself some breathing room and prompting a Chieftain timeout. THS couldn’t recover, as the Bobcats gradually pulled away to take a 2-0 lead.

Parker’s squad found itself in yet another seesaw battle in the third. The Chieftains took a 17-15 lead, but then allowed BLHS to grab the momentum with five straight points. They got back within one point on two occasions, but couldn’t complete the comeback as the Bobcats capped off the sweep.

“(Basehor-Linwood) played a great match,” Parker said. “They had girls who came out and competed from start to finish.”

As she’s done all season, senior Jenny Whitledge led THS with 17 kills. She now has 80 on the season. Junior Marissa Martin had a team-high 14 digs, increasing her season total to 65, and Whitledge added nine.

Senior Madee Walker also provided a spark with five kills and three service aces.

“I thought Madee Walker did an outstanding job,” Parker said. “She really tried to hold our team together and keep the chemistry going when it wasn’t. She did a good job of wanting the ball and trying to compete.”

THS will hit the court again Thursday when it travels to Pleasant Ridge near Easton for a non-league meeting. Action will begin at 5 p.m. with the freshman match.