Senior Haili Newton scored her 500th point on Saturday in the Pampa Lady Harvesters (17-13, 1-3) loss at Hereford. 

Head Coach Kaylee Samulowitz said the impressive feat is not only a testament to Newton’s hard work but also the support of her teammates over the years.

“Haili is such a special player, and it was really cool for us to be able to celebrate her on Saturday,” Samulowitz said. “Getting 500 kills is a huge career milestone and says a lot about her as a player, but also the setters and other teammates who allow her to shine in our offense.”

The Lady Whitefaces won the match 3-1, but Pampa was able to take one off Hereford in the third set.

“I think the difference in the game came down to errors,” Samulowitz said. “Hereford played a super clean game, which kept the pressure on us all afternoon. I was proud of the girls for responding and taking a set after going down 0-2. They just stayed the course and kept fighting.”

In this article we will also spotlight Junior Kinley Duke, who is a third-year varsity player for the Lady Harvesters.

Kinley Duke (Photo courtesy of Cartershots)

“Kinley brings a lot of experience to our team as a third-year varsity player,” Samulowitz said. “She has a lot of athleticism and volleyball knowledge, but what makes her so great is her personality and ability to be a team player. 

“She is friends with every teammate and does a great job of lifting up those around her. She's such a well-rounded student-athlete, and we are lucky to have her as part of our program.”

The Lady Harvesters return home on Tuesday when they host the Perryton Rangerettes.

“Perryton has really turned their program around in recent years,” Samulowitz said.

“They're coming off a huge win Saturday vs. Dumas, so we know they're going to bring us a challenge. I'm hoping we can keep up our home game momentum and take care of business on Tuesday night.”