Lady
Loboes Move on to Finals
By Terrance Thomas, Staff Writer ~~ OA Varsity, Odessa American, November
16, 2007
SAN MARCOS The Monahans
volleyball team didn’t exactly get the start it envisioned in its UIL Class 3A
state semifinal match on Friday.
But the Lady Loboes certainly can’t complain about
their finish.
Monahans shined down the stretch in three of four games, toppling White Oak
25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20 before 3,100 spectators at Strahan Coliseum.
The Lady Loboes (36-10) advanced to the state championship match for the 12th
time in school history. They are seeking their 10th title and first since 2004.
Monahans will play Wimberley, a three-game winner against Columbus in Friday’s
other semifinal, at 1 p.m. today.
It will be the second time in five years the teams will meet with the state
title on the line — Wimberley won the 2003 contest in a three-game sweep.
“We weren’t going to fall apart, because we’ve been in those positions
plenty of times this year,” Monahans senior Bailey Marcum, who had a
match-high 17 kills and 2.5 blocks, said of her team’s slow starts. “Being
in those positions is a good thing, because it teaches you how to fight back.”
In advancing to the state-championship match for the fourth time in five years,
Monahans used its resolve and tough blocking to prevail.
The Lady Loboes had 11 blocks for the match, limiting White Oak — which had a
41-match winning streak snapped — to a .021 hitting performance.
White Oak (41-2) had 40 kills in 142 swings, but committed 37 errors.
“We’ve been pounding these kids blocking-wise, because I know we’re a
better blocking team,” said Monahans coach Patty Dominguez, whose team has won
13 straight matches in which it captured the opening game. “I’ve just been
waiting for them to wake up so we can do this.”
In the match-clinching fourth game, Monahans rallied from a 15-11 deficit,
riding a 7-1 run to an 18-16 advantage.
Heather Schulz led the way with two kills and two assisted blocks.
“It’s really exciting whenever you get great kills and blocks,” said
Schulz, who had 10 kills, four blocks and hit .412. “It just puts the other
team down and makes you stronger.”
White Oak pulled even at 18-18, but Jordan Latham had two kills, Kati Holly had
one kill and Marcum and Kristi Holly combined for a block for a 22-19 lead.
The Ladynecks closed to 22-20 on a kill by Kristin Secord, but Monahans tallied
the final three points, winning on consecutive punishing kills from Marcum.
“We had it right there to win, and I was just wanting to finish it off,”
Marcum said.
The Lady Loboes, in the state tournament for the fifth time in six years, seized
control of the contest, staging late rallies in winning the first two games.
In setting the tone, Monahans overcame deficits of 5-0, 10-5 and 20-19 in Game
1, erasing the latter deficit with a 6-1 run.
In Game 2, Monahans led early, taking a 9-6 margin on a kill by Latham, who
finished with nine kills, 12 digs and three aces. But White Oak rebounded, using
an 8-1 run to take a 14-11 lead.
Tied at 21-21, the Lady Loboes pulled away, getting back-to-back kills from
Schulz for a 23-21 lead, then capitalized on two White Oak hitting errors to
close out the frame.
| Monahans
def. White Oak |
|||
| 25-21 | 25-21 | 23-25 | 25-20 |
UIL CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Semifinal match, Friday
At Texas State’s Strahan Coliseum, San Marcos
| Kills | ||
| Monahans: | ||
| Bailey Marcum 17 | ||
| Heather Schulz 10 | ||
| Jordan Latham 9 | ||
| Kati Holly 2 | ||
| Kaitlin Mitchell 2 | ||
| Kristi Holly 2 | ||
| White Oak: | ||
| Mary Morgan Swanson 13 | ||
| Kristin Secord 10 | ||
| Larissa Simmons 8 | ||
| Emily Bybel 6 | ||
| Natalie Craven 2 | ||
| Blocks | ||
| Monahans: | ||
| Heather Schulz 4 | ||
| Kati Holly 2.5 | ||
| Bailey Marcum 2.5 | ||
| Kristi Holly 1 | ||
| Jordan Latham .5 | ||
| Shelbi Cornelius .5 | ||
| White Oak: | ||
| Kristin Secord 4.5 | ||
| Mary Morgan Swanson 2 | ||
| Natalie Craven 1 | ||
| Emily Bybel .5 | ||
| Assists | ||
| Monahans: | ||
| Kaitlin Mitchell 37 | ||
| Heather Schulz 2 | ||
| White Oak: | ||
| Natalie Craven 22 | ||
| Morgan Wilson 5 | ||
| Digs | ||
| Monahans: | ||
| Jordan Latham 12 | ||
| Kaitlin Mitchell 12 | ||
| Heather Schulz 8 | ||
| Kristi Wilson 6 | ||
| Bailey Marcum 5 | ||
| Bertha Felan 3 | ||
| Kati Holly 2 | ||
| Kristi Holly 1 | ||
| White Oak: | ||
| Morgan Gabriel 15 | ||
| Kristin Secord 9 | ||
| Natalie Craven 7 | ||
| Larissa Simmons 6 | ||
| Emily Bybel 3 | ||
| Mary Morgan Swanson 3 | ||
| Juliana Tuel 2 | ||
| Morgan Wilson 1 | ||
| Samantha Stephenson 1 | ||
| Hailee Washburn 1 | ||
| Aces | ||
| Monahans: | ||
| Jordan Latham 3 | ||
| Kaitlin Mitchell 2 | ||
| Kati Holly 1 | ||
| Bailey Marcum 1 | ||
| White Oak: | ||
| Morgan Wilson 3 | ||
| Larissa Simmons 3 | ||
| Natalie Craven 2 | ||
| Kristin Secord 1 | ||
| Mary Morgan Swanson 1 | ||
| Records | |
| Monahans | 36-10 |
| White Oak | 41-2 |
UIL State Championships
At Texas State University, San Marcos
Thursday’s Scores
CLASS 2A
Semifinals
Poth def. Centerville 31-29, 25-15, 25-15
Bushland def. Big Sandy Harmony 20-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16
CLASS 4A
Semifinals
Waco Midway def. Randall 25-20, 28-26, 21-25, 25-16
Friendswood def. New Braunfels Canyon 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17
———
Friday’s Scores
CLASS 1A
Semifinals
Windthorst def. Flatonia 21-25, 25-19, 25-13, 21-25, 17-15.
Iola def. Kopperl 25-18, 13-25, 18-25, 25-14, 15-8.
CLASS 3A
Semifinals
Monahans def. White Oak 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20.
Wimberley def. Columbus 25-21, 25-20, 27-25.
CLASS 5A
Semifinals
Austin Westlake def. Plano West 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20.
Amarillo High def. Houston Cypress-Fairbanks 28-26, 25-16, 25-15.
———
Saturday’s Matches
CLASS 1A
Final
Windthorst (37-2) vs. Iola (36-3), 9 a.m.
CLASS 2A
Final
Bushland (30-7) vs. Poth (37-8), 11 a.m.
CLASS 3A
Final
Monahans (36-10) vs. Wimberley (37-7), 1 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Final
Waco Midway (46-1) vs. Friendswood (38-6), 3 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Final
Amarillo High (45-1) vs. Austin Westlake (42-1), 5 p.m.