HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
DIG, SET, SPIKE
Showdown round one is Tuesday at Lake Travis as topranked Westlake travels to meet the Lady Cavaliers in a battle of the top two Class 6A teams in Central Texas as they meet for the first time in District 25-6A action.
Westlake tuned up Friday night with a sweep of Anderson 25-8, 25-11, 25-15 as Jada Birkel slammed 16 kills and Rory Williams contributed 16 assists as the Chaps substituted liberally in the victory. While the Chaps were improving to 5-0 in district so too are the Cavaliers who defeated a strong Hays squad 25-16, 25-21, 25-21 as Kristen Kleymeyer slammed 10 kills with 12 digs for the victorious Cavaliers.
Austin High surprised Akins 25-18, 25-21, 16-25, 23-25, 15-11 to hand the Eagles their first district loss and drop them to 4-1 in district play. Junior outside hitter Andrea Roland slammed 20 kills and had six digs while 6-3 middle blocker Emma Bockholt had six blocks and Corley Holland doled out 19 assists for the Maroons, who improved to 2-3 in district action.
In other district action, Bowie beat Lehman 25-21, 25-11, 25-22. Cedar Park shook off a slow start to the season and has risen to the top spot in the 5A local poll after beating Hutto and Georgetown and opening district play with a 25-23, 25-23, 25-13 win over Glenn. Shelby Epley had 12 kills, Olivia Meyer had 34 assists and Jaelyn Grimm added four blocks as the Timberwolves won their eighth straight match. Rouse kept pace to start district by sweeping Marble Falls 25-15, 25-11, 25-14. Grayson Schirpik had nine kills and Reilly Henrich added 14 assists as Rouse, state finalists in 2017, has weathered a tough schedule and posted an 11-18 record but is favored to make playoffs in 19-5A. Pflugerville took advantage of district rival Connally for a 25-19, 21-25, 25-10, 25-18 win to stay tied with Cedar Park and Rouse after one district contest. East View clipped Cedar Creek 25-18, 25-13, 25-9, and Georgetown crushed Elgin 25-10, 25-13, 25-9.
Liberty Hill is rounding into playoff form as the Panthers crushed a strong Robinson Rockets team 25-9, 25-14, 26-24 to improve to 18-14.
Things are a bit crazy in 13-6A after Cedar Ridge shocked previously undefeated Westwood and created a four-team logjam atop the nine-team district. Westwood, Vista Ridge, Vandegrift and McNeil each have one loss while Round Rock, which beat Vista Ridge on Friday night, has two losses after losing to Westwood and Vandegrift in a district that will likely come down to the final night plus a coin flip or playoff for playoff positioning.
Friday night, McNeil got 13 kills from Erin Flood to sweep Hendrickson while Lauren Malone slammed 13 kills as the Round Rock Dragons went to four sets to beat Vista Ridge. Also, on Friday, Vandegrift swept Stony Point.
In other action, Dripping Springs reminded the rest of District 25-5A that a 15-15 pre-district record was not indicative of its talent as the Tigers beat Travis to open district play 25-4, 25-9, 25-11. McCallum defeated LBJ in five sets, 28-30, 25-18, 25-16, 20-25, 15-6 and Ann Richards beat Del Valle 25-11, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22.
Player of the week
Kylee Becker, 5-10, senior, Hutto — Becker had 12 kills and 12 digs as the state-ranked Hippos opened district play by beating Bastrop 25-18, 26-28, 25-13, 25-22 Friday. On Tuesday, Becker had 15 kills and 13 digs as the lady Hippos took down 6A state power Waco Midway 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 15-13. With a 25-8 (1-0) record, the Hippos have their best start in five years.
— Butch Hart, AA-S correspondent