Salado Lady Eagles are headed back to the UIL State Semi-Finals, where they will face the top-ranked Wimberley Lady Texans. The #1 and #2 teams in 4A-2 will play at 7:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 19 at St. Edward’s University in Austin.
The #2-ranked Lady Eagles beat their District 24-4A foe Gateway College Prep in an extended match of five sets at UMHB’s Mayborn Campus Center last night, 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 14-25, 15-11. The win gives the Lady Eagles four wins in four matchups with the #3-ranked Lady Gators.
In the tie-breaker, Salado and Gateway fought back and forth for each point until Haley Brown tied the set at 11-11 on a kill assisted by Charli Niu.
Brown then took over and the girls scored the remaining four points on her service, the final point on a kill by Mazzy Johnson.
Brown, Johnson and Niu each had two aces while Shelby Hollywood had one.
Brown led the girls with 12 kills, followed by Elsie Law, 11, Kael Wilcox, seven, Macy Morris, six, Niu, Johnson and Payton Ortega, four each.
Law led the girls with five blocks, followed by Ortega, three, Morris, two, Niu, one.
Niu made 26 assists, followed by Kate Maedgen, four, Hollywood, three, Johnson and Brown, one each.
Maedgen led the girls with 18 digs, followed by Brown, 16, Hollywood, 14, Niu, 12, Johnson, seven, Morris, four,, Kaylee Bragg, two and Ortega and Law, one each.