HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE | Kilgore scores huge win; Overton picks up win No. 25 this year
Oct. 20—Last week, the Kilgore High School volleyball team was presented a challenge: win the last three games to even have hope of getting into the UIL Class 4A playoffs.
And even with three wins, it's a long shot. But it's still a shot.
Kilgore trailed Chapel Hill two sets to none on Friday, and rallied to win three straight and take the match, as chronicled on kilgorenewsherald.com over the weekend. Mission step one: accomplished.
And on Tuesday, against some odds, they accomplished step two.
The Lady Bulldogs, coached by Madeline Harris and playing on their home court, beat Lindale in four sets, 25-17, 22-25, 28-26, 25-23.
Lindale, once a clear-cut playoff team earlier in the season, has fallen back to the pack somewhat. Lindale and Henderson are each tied with 6-4 records, with two games left. Kilgore has only one game left: at Henderson this Friday.
That leaves step three: beating Henderson on Friday in Henderson, a 4:30 p.m. start with varsity playing first in order to accommodate those fans who'd like to see both varsity volleyball and football.
Even with a win at Henderson Friday, Kilgore will be on the outside looking in, without help. It's possible Kilgore could be playing for the opportunity to face someone in a tiebreaker for the final playoff spot in District 16-4A.
To set anything in motion, though, Kilgore needed to string together some wins. Bullard has been state-ranked this year and is the district champion. Spring Hill, Lindale and Henderson had filled out the top four spots for most of the season, with Kilgore and Chapel Hill scratching to get in, and Cumberland Academy at the bottom of the standings.
The Lady 'Dogs had beaten Cumberland twice, and Chapel Hill twice, (four wins in district), but had lost to Henderson once, to Spring Hill twice, to Bullard twice, and to Lindale once (six losses). Beating Lindale on Tuesday night would give them a 5-6 district record. Not great, but perhaps keeping playoff hopes alive.
After honoring their only senior this year, Ashton Vallery, with recognition and gifts before the game, Kilgore went to work, winning set one in fairly easy fashion, although Lindale did pull closer late in the set.
Lindale punched back and won set two, but then Kilgore won a hard-fought third set, 28-26, and finished the night with a victory in set four.
Kilgore got nine kills each from BB Brooks and from freshman Maleah Thurmond — Brooks added three blocks and two digs, and Thurmond had two blocks and a dig of her own.
Summer Hayden-Epps had eight kills and six digs, and freshman Brooke Couch had seven kills, 10 digs and two aces. Vallery had a good night, if it was her final home game, and it is the final scheduled one. She had 17 assists and nine digs, to go with a kill.
Also for Kilgore, Catherine Dennis had three kills and five digs; Jazmine Vasquez had 18 digs; Isabell Witt and Fyndi Henry each had 13; Nawny Sifford had 10; Maddison Harris had eight digs; Alana Mumphrey had two kills, 14 assists and two digs.
Overton: The Lady Mustangs got win number 25 on Tuesday night, stepping out of district play to beat King's Academy from Tyler, 25-13, 25-18, 25-13.
OHS will host Union Grove on Friday as the regular season winds down, a varsity-only night with game time set for 4:30.
Overton has already clinched a playoff spot.
Against King's, Mary Fenter had 11 kills, nine digs and an ace for Overton. Kaley McMillian had three kills, seven digs, 17 assists and three aces. Chloe Laws had three kills, 22 digs and an ace, and Makayla Gurley had 15 digs and three aces.
