Rattlers sweep their way into third round
Reagan won the battle of the Rattlers on Tuesday with a threeset victory over San Marcos in a Class 6A second-round volleyball match at Littleton Gym.
Reagan (18-3) won the fiercely played opening set 25-20, then prevailed 25-13 and 25-12 in the next two to earn a third-round matchup with Austin Lake Travis.
San Marcos jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the opening set before Reagan scored four straight points to make it 11-10. After San Marcos went up 12-10, Reagan went on another four-point run and led 14-12.
San Marcos (11-10) evened the count at 15-15, but a 6-2 run put Reagan on its way to taking the first set.
Reagan powered to an 11-4 lead en route to an easy victory in the second set, then went up 13-5 in the third on its way to completing the sweep.
“I think we had more of a sense of urgency and energy,” Reagan senior libero Maddie Correa said in explaining why the team did better in the second and third sets. “We started talking more and realized we were down and that it was going to be a fight no matter what. We realized we had to play every ball as if it were our last. Our energy definitely made a difference.”
Correa, an honorable mention
All-American who has committed to Texas Tech, led Reagan with 18 digs.
Honorable mention All-America senior outside hitter Nyah Anderson was tops in kills with 17. Anderson, who has committed to Miami, also had two aces.
Junior setter Kearstin Davis contributed 22 assists, and freshman Preslie Yates blocked five shots.
Last year, Reagan was eliminated by Clemens in the second round. In this year’s playoffs, Reagan defeated Clemens 3-0 in last week’s first round.
“We are coming this year with more energy and urgency, and making fewer compound errors,” Anderson said. “Our practices are going really well, and we are doing everything we are supposed to be doing. We are working as a team and not for ourselves.”
Reagan and Lake Travis will meet at 6 p.m. Friday at a neutral site to be determined.
“This season, being as short as it was, I still don’t think we’ve peaked,” Reagan coach Rachel Torvik said. “I think we are getting better every single match. We have an opportunity to play a similar style of team, going into Lake Travis.
“We have done our homework and scouted teams, we are executing as far as what I am asking them to do, and we are taking care of the ball on our side of the net.”