By Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
Salado Lady Eagles survived a five-set match against Gateway College Prep Nov. 7 at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and will face Huffman Hargrave in the Region Semi-Finals 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at Bryan High School.
Hargrave beat Bridge City to earn their berth in the Regional tournament.
China Spring, runner up to Salado in District 23-4A, will also play in the Regional tournament after having swept Burnet this week. Salado beat China Spring in both of their matches during district play. China Spring will face the 39-6 Spring Hill Panthers in the late game at 8 p.m. Nov. 10.
The winners will face off in the Finals at noon Nov. 11 with the winner heading to the State Tournament Nov. 16 and 18 at Curtis Culwell Center in Garland.
Salado lost to Huffman Hargrave last year in the Region Semi-final. Hargrave lost in the state semi-finals to state champion Canyon Randall.
Texas Volleyball Insider ranked Salado #3 in state at the end of the regular season. Top-ranked Davenport will face Calallen in the Region IV semi-finals at 5 p.m. Nov. 10 at Littleton Gym. Floresville and Wimberly (ranked #11 and #12 respectively) will face off at 7 p.m. Nov. 10.
On the other side of the brackets, Randall and Glen Rose and West Plains and Stephenville face off in the semi-finals of the Region I tournament, while Celina and Lindale and Aubrey and Sunnyvale face off in the Region II semi-finals.
1 2 3 4 5 F
SHS 25 25 16 12 15 3
GPHS 20 19 25 25 10 2
Salado Lady Eagles bounced back from their worst single set loss of the entire season to beat Gateway Preparatory High School 15-10 in the fifth decisive set Nov. 7 at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Salado took a two-set lead, but the Lady Gators dominated all aspects of the game in the third and fourth sets.
Momentum appeared to be on their side, until Elsie Law hammered a kill to end a sustained rally and put Salado up 4-3 in the fifth set. Law and Livia Niu blocked a shot and Law blocked another shot to put the Lady Eagles up 6-3, forcing Gateway to call time out and regroup.
Niu fed Kael Wilcox for a cross-court kill and 7-3 lead before Gateway broke Grace Clemons’ service. The two combined again to put Salado up 8-5. Niu stuffed a kill at the net to put Salado up 10-6.
Gateway called time trailing 11-6 and closed the lead to 11-9 when coach Clint Brown called time.
Niu set up Payton Ortega for a kill and 13-9 lead before Gateway scored their last point of the set, match and season. Niu fed Wilcox for a cross court kill to break serve. Ortega and Law combined on a block for the 15-10 win.
Niu led the girls with 5 service aces, followed by Macy Morris, 1.
Wilcox led the girls in attacking with 12 kills, followed by Haley Brown, 9, Macy Morris and Wilcox, 7 each, Law and Niu, 5 each, Reese Rich, 2, and Clemons, 1.
Law stuffed the net with 7 blocks, followed by Niu, 6, Morris, 5, Clemons and Ortega, 2 each and Brown and Wilcox, 1 each.
Niu spread the ball around with 37 assists, followed by Clemons, 3, and Sara Ellis, Brown and Rich, 1 each.
Rich had 20 digs, followed by Clemons, 11, Niu, 9, Shelby Hollywood, 8, Ortega, 6, Ellis, 5, Brown, 4, and Morris and Wilcox, 2 each.
1 2 3 4 F
SHS 25 20 25 25 3
THS 16 25 22 18 0
Salado won their Area volleyball match against the Taylor Lady Ducks in four matches (a rarity for the girls who have been blowing through their competition this year), winning 25-16, 20-25, 25-22 and 25-18.
Salado recorded aces in the match by Grace Clemons, Sara Ellis and Macy Morris.
Kael Wilcox led the girls in attacking the net with 13 kills, followed by Elsie Law, 11, Haley Brown, 9, Morris, and Payton Ortega, 6, and Clemons, 1.
Morris had 8 blocks to lead the girls, followed by Livia Niu, 7, Law, 6 and Brown, 2.
Niu had 29 assists to lead the girls, followed by Reese, Rich, 2 and Brown, Clemons and Morris, 1 each.
Rich led the girls with 21 digs, followed by Shelby Clemons, 15, Hollywood, 11, Ortega, 8, Niu, 7, Ellis, 6, Brown, 4 and Wilcox, 3.