College Park sweeps Conroe in district action
THE WOODLANDS Things to be expected in life: death, taxes and College Park volleyball winning at least 20 matches.
The Lady Cavaliers have been a model of consistency under head coach Candice Gibson over the past decade-plus. And on Tuesday evening at home, the program clinched its 11th consecutive campaign with at least 20 victories with a 25-7, 25-22, 25-19 sweep over Conroe.
In addition to reaching that milestone, College Park also kept another streak alive. The Lady Cavaliers have now won 21 straight matches against Conroe dating back to 2007.
College Park is now 20-6 overall and 3-2 in District 12-6A action this season. The team’s only losses in league play came in its previous two matches against rivals Oak Ridge and The Woodlands, which are Nos. 7 and 2 in the latest TGCA state rankings, respectively.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” Gibson said. “I’m so incredibly proud of them because we had really hit a good stride before the hurricane came, and I think even though we were ready to get back on the court and we had some good time off, I think it probably set in the back of our minds how we were going to come back. I’m super proud of them they’ve come out with the same focus and the same intensity.”
Conroe is now 27-10 overall and 2-3 in district play. The Tigerettes came into Tuesday on the heels of a thrilling 20-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-13, 15-7 win over Montgomery last Friday. Conroe has been without senior outside hitter Neena Brenson since she was injured late in the districtopening match against Oak Ridge. Brenson leads the team with 252 kills this season.
“This district is tough,” Conroe coach Charvette Brown said. “You have to be ready to play every single day. We’re kind of starting over. Neena’s out for the rest of the season, so we’re still trying to figure out who’s going to take that role and step up to be that leader. But it is what it is - it’s sports, and it happens. You have to move on and keep fighting.”
College Park came out blazing in the first set, using a 13-0 run to grab a commanding advantage on its way to the lopsided victory.
The Lady Cavaliers went on runs of 4-0 and 5-0 in the second game, gaining some breathing room as they worked toward another win. Conroe made a late charge, escaping game point on three separate occasions, but College Park ultimately ended the rally after regrouping with a timeout.
“I think we dug ourselves a hole a whole lot of times,” Brown said. “But what I liked, what I was proud about seeing, is the resilience. They always came back and never gave up and kept fighting. That’s been the story of the season. They’re fighters, and they never give up, so I appreciate seeing that.”
College Park led by as many as nine points in the third and final set at 20-11 before fighting off another comeback attempt from the Tigerettes.
Victoria Ratcliff and Jazzmin Kim each had six kills to pace the Conroe attack. Gabby Mize recorded a double-double with 13 digs and 10 assists, and Sydney Walling led the team with 14 digs. Ratcliff, Jozy Rodel and Mize each finished with three blocks.
Lauren Freeman led the Lady Cavaliers with 11 kills to go along with five digs. Noelle Palmer had six kills, and Mackenzie Nunes nearly recorded a double-double with 26 assists and nine digs. Jill Bohnet posted a teamhigh 21 digs, while CC Clausen finished with 19. Clausen and Rose Hedderman each had three aces.
College Park celebrated its five seniors after the match - Nunes, Hedderman, Freeman, Clausen and Alex Martinez.
“Tonight was a good win for us,” Gibson said. “Conroe has a great team, and they played us really well. I think with it being Senior Night and this being a big week, we needed this win just to keep pushing through district. … They did know it could be our 20th win, and we’ve been wanting to get that, so it was a good night.”