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THE WRAP: Katy, Fulshear, Klein advance to Volleyball Regional Championships
It was a busy night of volleyball playoff action.
Regional Semifinals for both Class 6A Region III and Class 5A Region III were going down in Houston, with a doubleheader over at Katy ISD's Merrell Center, while Class 6A Region II was being played elsewhere.
Katy defeated Clear Springs, Fulshear defeated Magnolia in a five-set thriller, Klein advanced to its second-straight Regional Final with a win over Sachse and The Woodlands and Friendswood saw their season's come to an end.
VYPE's Joshua Koch and Matt Malatesta spanned the city. Here is The Wrap!
Katy advances to Regional Final for first time since 1993, defeat Clear Springs 3-1
KATY - It has been 27 years.
When a team hasn't been to the Regional Finals in that long, things are bound to be said about the historic run.
"Like, 1993, that's crazy. People are like, 'that's when my dad graduated'," Katy junior Maddie Waak said. "I think that's really cool that we're making history for our school."
VYPE Postgame: @katyvball20 junior @MaddieWaak talks after the win for Katy. Pretty special night for the Katy community. #txhsvb @hannahelisabe @KeyPerris @KatyISDAthletic @katyisd @jordangambletx pic.twitter.com/FRTXNJkWVt
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Waak and company are indeed making history.
The 2020 version of the Katy volleyball team is just the third in program history to reach the Regional Finals, after defeating Clear Springs – which was playing in only its second Regional Semifinal ever – on Tuesday 3-1 (13-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-22) at the Merrell Center.
"They are very committed," Katy coach Karen Paxton said. "We asked for them to commit themselves back in January. They always work hard in the offseason but this summer they were there every day. Coming to skills stuff and every practice has been super productive since then."
BREAKING: @katyvball20 is heading to the Regional Finals for the first time since 1993!!! Katy defeats Clear Springs 3-1 (13-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-22) #txhsvb
It's an all @KatyISDAthletic Region III-6A Championship! @MaddieWaak @jordangambletx @hannahelisabe @KPRC2RandyMc pic.twitter.com/7YoFbwt4Ut
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Katy had to battle back multiple times in the match to fend off a tough Clear Springs team, which finishes the year 17-8 overall.
The Tigers' roster is filled with experience, including a group of seven seniors, which have put it all on the line to reach this point.
"It took a lot of blood, from just falling and it took a lot of tears," Key said with a chuckle. "And knowing our game and playing our game."
Below the seniors is a group of juniors that have also bought in.
This team bought into the idea of "playing in December", Waak said and for Jordan Gamble the belief that they could make this kind of run came from the coaches at the very beginning of the playoffs.
VYPE Postgame: Caught up with @KeyPerris who has helped @katyvball20 get back to the Regional Final for the first time since 1993 #txhsvb pic.twitter.com/ZziiRaRluV
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Now, to get the program to its first State Tournament appearance since 1968 – they have to go through fellow Katy ISD power Seven Lakes.
"This is very exciting," Gamble said. "We know their tendencies and they know our tendencies. I feel like that makes it that much more of a battle."
Paxton added: "We couldn't have picked a better venue or matchup. I think it just speaks volumes to how competitive our district is and you've got to play your best when you're playing Katy ISD volleyball."
Katy will face Seven Lakes on Friday at 5 p.m. inside the Merrell Center with a spot in the 2020 UIL State Volleyball Tournament on the line.
VYPE Postgame: @jordangambletx stopped to talk with VYPE after helping send @katyvball20 to the Regional Finals for the first time in 27 years. #txhsvb @KatyISDAthletic @hannahelisabe @KeyPerris @KPRC2RandyMc @KPRC2Vanessa @katyisd @MaddieWaak pic.twitter.com/gtjAQmfLCT
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Fulshear defeats Magnolia in five-set thriller
The Fulshear Chargers won state in Class 4A last season. What would happen as Chargers would move up a classification?
Entering the Class 5A Region III Regional Semis, their only losses were to Concordia Lutheran, The Woodlands, Katy and Seven Lakes. Outside of state-ranked Concordia Lutheran at the private school level, Fulshear's only other losses came to Class 6A teams who reached the Regional Semis.
On paper, this looked like a blowout. Four Division 1 stars for Fulshear -- but it isn't always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of fight in the dog.
Magnolia fought… and fought… and fought..
But eventually Fulshear would take down Magnolia to advance to the Regional Finals against College Station, which defeated Friendswood 3-2 on Tuesday and now are one step away from the Class 5A state tourney.
THE POST 🏐
Fulshear coach Sydney Gotcher Talks about INSTANT CLASSIC
5-Set Win Over Magnolia to advance to Regional Finals @FULSHEARVB @lcisdathletics @AvaUnderwood16 @ellieechterr pic.twitter.com/v99sX2C1TV
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Magnolia took some haymakers by the defending state champs in Game 1, but won 25-21.
The wake-up call came loud and clear as Fulshear ran off two-straight games. 25-10 and 25-13.
Who flipped the switch?
In the Game 2, Fulshear got it going and Ava Underwood provided some juice. After the 5-foot-5 setter blocked a kill by Magnolia's Sydney Gentry, the Texas A&M-commit reminded Magnolia who were the defending state champs… with a little too much juice. She received a yellow card, but it ignited the Chargers win in Game 2.
Magnolia couldn't match the power of LSU-commit Ellie Echter, Baylor-commit Alexis Dacosta and Purdue-commit Brielle Warren in Game 3, but…
The Bulldogs rebounded in Game 4 with a ton of heart and defense. Faith Lynch did a tremendous job setting up Brynn Botkins, Ellie Anderson, Sydney Gentry and Marissa Moffatt. Kaylyn Fojt had some huge digs as well.
In Game 5, it was fitting for senior leader Echter to put down the final point for Fulshear to with 15-13.
THE POST 🏐
Magnolia's Faith Lynch and her @MagnoliaVBALL laid it all on the floor in 5-set heartbreaker @flinch_2021 @MagnoliaISD pic.twitter.com/NImfvBeAGY
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
Friendswood falls short to College Station, 3-2
Friendswood fought to the very end.
The Mustangs entered Tuesday seeking a third-straight trip to the Regional Finals and potentially a second-straight bid to the state tournament. But a "scrappy" College Station team stood in the way.
In a five-set thriller, Friendswood saw its season come to an end in a 3-2 (25-16, 25-27, 20-25, 27-25, 10-15) loss, putting their final mark on the year at 23-4 overall.
"College Station is a super scrappy team," Friendswood coach Sarah Paulk said. "They made no mistakes. If we weren't putting the ball down with first-ball kills, they were going to fight, scrap and get the points. They just didn't stop. They fought hard."
VYPE Postgame: Caught up with @FwoodVolleyball coach Sarah Paulk after a 3-2 loss. She talked the match and about the seniors and the program they have built. #txhsvb @ashhhbashhh05 @sarahjsitton @Alemeoni_6 @FriendswoodBC @friendswoodisd pic.twitter.com/6vZ60OgkA0
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
College Station moves on to the Regional Finals for the first time since 2013 and will face defending Class 4A State Champion Fulshear, which beat Magnolia 3-2 on Tuesday.
For Friendswood, it's a senior class that leaves after an ultra-successful run headed by Ashlyn Svoboda, who registered 1,000th career kill, finishing with 16 in her final match and also had 25 digs.
"Ashlyn has done so much for our program. She is a great volleyball player and leader," Paulk said about the Nichols State signee. "She does the things that are hard. She holds her teammates accountable and she does it all. She will never be replaced."
Alessandra Meoni, who moved from Italy two years ago, finished her final match with the Mustangs with a team-leading 27 kills and 14 digs. Sarah Sitton finished with 11 kills, Kate Bueche had 19 digs and six kills, Cierra Pesak had 33 digs to lead the team. Megan Hubbard finished with 46 assists in the five-setter.
As Paulk looks towards the future there are some key returners that will be back in 2021 including Hubbard, Sitton and Bueche.
"The expectation is to be here and to make it this far," Paulk said about the culture at Friendswood. "So, when you are able to set those standards it's a great thing."
Class 6A Region II WrapEntering the day, Klein and The Woodlands were the last two programs from Houston standing in Region II. The Highlanders faced off against Wylie, while Klein took on Sachse.
The Woodlands, in its 9th-straight Regional Semifinals appearance, saw its season come to an end with a 3-0 (17-25, 20-25, 17-25) loss to Wylie. The Woodlands finishes the year with an overall record of 23-4.
Klein battled Sachse in an eventual four-set thriller. After losing the first set 27-25, the Bearkats came back to win the next three in a row to take the match 3-1. This is the second-straight year for Klein to advance to the Region II-6A Final.
Klein will face Wylie with a spot in the UIL State Volleyball Tournament on the line later this week.
Class 6A Region II Score Alert 🚨 @KleinVolleyball advances to its second-straight Regional Final with 3-1 win over Sachse. Will face Wylie later this week. #txhsvb @DevanTaylor16 @MansfieldGaby @annieantar @CamyKling @kierstyn_mcfall @KleinISD pic.twitter.com/KrvUg4o9fk
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) December 2, 2020
VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS: Seven Lakes, Katy advance to Regional Quarters
KATY – Seven Lakes was not about to relive the disappointment of 2019.
A year after being ousted in the second round in a three-set sweep by eventual Region III Finalist Cy-Fair, the Spartans flipped the script sweeping a Cypress Creek out of the playoffs 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-16).
"It's so much fun, it's our senior year and we're leaving it all on the court," Nebraska-signee Ally Batenhorst, who finished with 22 kills and three aces, said. "Do as best we can and it's super fun."
VYPE Postgame: Caught up with @7LakesVBnews senior and @Huskervball signee @allybatenhorstt after the win. Seven Lakes on to the third round for the third time in her HS career. She had 22 kills today & 3 aces per @densilva2 #txhsvb @caseyybate @KatyISDAthletic pic.twitter.com/y43eQRwMuW
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020
The win improved Seven Lakes to 21-1 on the 2020 campaign and the Spartans move on to face the winner of Cinco Ranch-Cy-Fair in the Regional Quarterfinals later this week.
"Cy Creek is a balanced team and we're excited we're able to advance," Seven Lakes coach Amy Cataline said. "We played really clean today. I'm really proud of how we played."
SET 3: @7LakesVBnews takes the third set from @CyCreekVBall 25-16 to win the match 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-16) and move on to the third round. #txhsvb @KatyISDAthletic @allybatenhorstt @caseyybate @Mayowaolibale @katyisd pic.twitter.com/FNxk8C3nys
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020
This has been an odd year for Seven Lakes.
Following a 3-1 District 19-6A victory over Katy on October 16, the program had to stop playing games and practicing due to COVID-19.
On November 7, Seven Lakes started playing again with a doubleheader and would eventually play five matches in the span of a week, going 4-1 in that stretch. Since their 3-1 loss to Tompkins on November 14, Seven Lakes is 3-0, including a sweep over 2019 Class 4A State Champion Fulshear.
"It's been a challenging year for every team, especially ours," Cataline said. "It's never advantageous to sit for two and a half weeks when you're in the middle of a season. So, it's definitely an obstacle and I'm proud of how they overcame it."
VYPE Postgame: Caught up with @7LakesVBnews coach Amy Cataline after the win. Her team improves to 21-1 on the year after the sweep. #txhsvb @allybatenhorstt @caseyybate @KatyISDAthletic @katyisd @KPRC2RandyMc @Mayowaolibale pic.twitter.com/FUJz6JhnXd
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020
Seven Lakes will try and reach the Regional III-6A Tournament for the third time in the last four years with a win later this week.
Powered by Key and Company, Katy moves on with 3-0 Sweep of Bellaire
It has been a while since the Katy volleyball program has advanced to three-straight Regional Quarterfinals matches.
In fact, the current seniors for the Tigers were just being born.
With a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-22) of Bellaire on Monday night at the Merrell Center, Katy (18-3) advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals for the third-straight year marking the first time the program has done that since the 2000-2002 seasons.
"Our kids did a really good job tonight," Katy coach Karen Paxton said. "I think they executed the gameplan. Offensively, Perris Key had a big match. I think Jordan Gamble did a great job for us tonight. I think our other supporting cast, Reghan Jones, Abby Sherman, Maddie Waak did a great job. I think our defense picked up a lot of balls as well, Hannah Hoover had a great match at libero. Really proud of the kids."
VYPE Postgame: @katyvball20 coach Karen Paxton talks with VYPE after the 3-0 sweep of Bellaire. #txhsvb @katyisd @KatyISDAthletic @MaddieWaak @KeyPerris @jordangambletx @hannahelisabe @KatyHighSchool @KatyHSPrincipal pic.twitter.com/u00JTVcx9A
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020
If Katy can win later this week over either Memorial or George Ranch, the Tigers will be in the Regional Tournament for the first time in 12 seasons.
The combination of Perris Key, Jordan Gamble and Maddy Chaapel proved to be too much for Bellaire (16-6) to handle, especially in the second set when it seemed like every player on the court for Katy was getting a kill.
"I felt like in the second set we really stepped it up energy wise," Key said. "When we, especially as a team, step up energy wise it contributes to hitting. So, I think having that energy is a good balance for us."
SET 3: @katyvball20 takes the third set 25-22 over @BellaireHigh to win the match 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-22). Perks Key, Maddie Waak, Mary Chappel, Jordan Gamble all impressive. #txhsvb @KatyISDAthletic @MaddieWaak @hannahelisabe @jordangambletx pic.twitter.com/tY469rYI0y
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020
As far as their goals, Key went on to say the goal for the team is "Play in December".
To do that, Katy would have to reach at least the Regional Semifinals, which the program hasn't done since 2008.
"For us to still be going it's a great feeling," Key said.
VYPE Player of the Match: @katyvball20 senior OH @KeyPerris (@UTRGV_vball commit) talks with VYPE after the win. #txhsvb @MaddieWaak @KatyISDAthletic @katyisd @jordangambletx @hannahelisabe @KatyHSPrincipal pic.twitter.com/z3cozFejYG
— vypehouston (@vypehouston) November 24, 2020