VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Holliday claims Bev Ball Classic championship

Joey D. Richards, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·11 min read

Size doesn’t matter. Ultimately, it’s all about heart and fight. Experience in big battles helps, too, and the Class 3A Holliday volleyball team has it all.

The Lady Eagles beat Class 5A Wylie 26-24, 18-25, 25-13 in the championship game of the Bev Ball Classic on Saturday at Abilene High’s Eagle Gym.

“It feels good,” said Holliday coach Wendy Parker, a 1985 Snyder grad. “We were second here last year, so it feels good to finally win it.”

Bushland beat Holliday in the tournament championship last year, and the eventual state champions also beat Holliday in the Region I-3A finals later in the season for the second consecutive year.

The Lady Eagles had to weather a storm, too, after Wylie pounded the ball in Game 2.

“Wylie was super tough,” Parker said. “They had guns firing at us everywhere. It was nice to see that. It shows us where our strengths are, where are weaknesses are, what we need to keep working on.”

Wylie coach Shay Cox was impressed with Holliday. The Lady Eagles beat Wylie twice during the weekend, sweeping the Lady Bulldogs in pool play on Friday Holliday also beat Wylie 2-1 in the second round of bracket play at the tournament last year.

“That’s a really good ballclub, no matter what their A is,” Cox said. “Their defense is something to see.”

Still, Cox was happy to see her Lady Bulldogs reach the title match. She said it’s the first time Wylie has played for the Bev Ball championship in her nine years as the team’s head coach. Wylie beat Clyde for third place last season.

“I’m thrilled,” Cox said. “If we were going to lose, it might as well be to a great team. They did a good job out there. I’m super pleased with our defense. I’ve got some kids playing some different positions they’re not used to it. They’re really getting in there and owning. It’s been fun to see.”

Wylie beat Fort Worth Brewer 25-15, 26-24, Wall 25-21, 25-18 and Boerne Champion 25-18, 24-26, 27-25 to set up the rematch with Holliday.

The Lady Bulldogs seemed poised to beat the Lady Eagles, too, after winning Game 2 in resounding fashion. But once Holliday got on a roll in Game 3, the Lady Eagles couldn’t be stopped.

“We had some momentum,” Cox said. “I think sometimes our inexperience creeps in on us. We feel pressure and don’t make things happen like we should.”

The Lady Eagles play in a brutal region. Bushland has won state the last two years, and Parker needs her team battle-tested for another run at the region title.

Holliday went 7-0 at the tournament, including 3-0 in bracket play. The Lady Eagles didn’t drop a game until the title match. They beat three Class 5A schools in Wylie, Burleson and Abilene High, including Wylie twice. Holliday beat the Lady Bulldogs 25-21, 25-19 in pool play.

Holliday, which went 4-0 in pool play, beat Abilene High 25-18, 25-19 and Class 3A Clyde 25-16, 25-21 to reach the title match.

“We get to play some really tough competition, plus some big schools, which helps us in the long run,” Parker said. “We had a deep playoff run the last two years. So, with our tournament play and our preseason, we try to play as tough opponents as we can, and this tournament has always been good for that.”

Parker lost five starters from last year’s team.

“So, we’re still trying to figure out who’s going where,” Parker said.

Not that the new roles – or a tall, intimidating Wylie team – stopped the Lady Eagles.

“We do have a lot of girls who have been here three years during those two, deep playoff runs,” Parker said. “So, I’ve got a lot of seniors. They’ve got playoff experience, which helps.”

And the Lady Eagles aren’t afraid to take on the big schools.

“We’re a small school, and we’ve always played big schools,” Parker said. “I think they’re used to it. It’s nothing new for them, so I don’t think they’re going to be intimidated.

“We know we’re going to be the underdog. They know we’re going to be smaller. We always have been. We just try to use the weapons that we have, which is usually defense. We try to be as fast as we can be.”

HENRIETTA WINS BOOMTOWN TITLE

BURKBURNETT – Henrietta avenged its lone loss of Friday’s pool play with a straight sets victory against Boyd in the Gold Bracket championship match of the Cool in Boomtown Volleyball Tournament on Saturday.

The Lady Cats best Boyd, 25-22, 25-18, for the title. Boyd defeated Henrietta in the first match of Pool B action Friday, 25-19, 25-18, giving the Lady Jackets the No. 1 seed and Henrietta the second seed heading into bracket play.

Henrietta opened bracket play with a win against Windthorst, while Boyd topped Nocona. Henrietta beat Vernon, 25-13, 25-15, and Boyd topped Bowie in the semifinals, setting up the rematch in the championship.

COOL IN BOOMTOWN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Friday’s Pool Play

(Top two in each pool advance to the Gold Bracket. The bottom two advance to the Silver Bracket.)

Pool A – Bowie d. Burkburnett, 25-10, 25-19; Northside d. Petrolia, 25-10, 30-29; Burkburnett d. Northside, 26-24, 25-21; Bowie d. Petrolia, 25-14, 25-9; Burkburnett d. Petrolia, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21; Bowie d. Northside, 25-13, 25-20. Final standings: Bowie 3-0, Burkburnett 2-1, Northside 1-2, Petrolia 0-3.

Pool B – Boyd d. Henrietta, 25-19, 25-18; Borger d. Quanah, 25-16, 25-13; Henrietta d. Quanah, 25-13, 25-13; Boyd d. Borger, 25-17, 25-15; Henrietta d. Borger, 25-15, 25-19; Boyd d. Quanah, 25-22, 16-25, 25-8. Final standings: Boyd 3-0, Henrietta 2-1, Borger 1-2, Quanah 0-3.

Pool C – Pampa d. City View, 25-13, 25-16; Windthorst d. Nocona, 25-14, 25-14; Windthorst d. Pampa, 25-21, 25-27, 25-15; City View d. Nocona, 25-13, 25-9; Nocona d. Pampa, 25-21, 25-19; Windthorst d. City View, 25-17, 25-21. Final standings: Windthorst 3-0, Nocona 2-1, Pampa 1-2, City View 0-3.

Pool D – Bridgeport d. Hirschi, 25-17, 25-12; Vernon d. Archer City, 25-14, 25-16; Vernon d. Bridgeport, 25-16, 25-12; Archer City d. Hirschi, 25-5, 25-12; Bridgeport d. Archer City, 25-17, 25-16; Vernon d. Hirschi, 25-6, 25-12. Final standings: Vernon 3-0, Bridgeport 2-1, Archer City 1-2, Hirschi 0-3.

Vernon standouts – (vs. Archer City) Cirstin Ivy 4 aces, 6 kills; (vs. Bridgeport) Key’Maria McBride 6 aces, 12 assists; Kenadi Brown 5 kills, 3 digs; Mari Johnson 4 kills; (vs. Hirschi) McBride 11 aces, 3 kills, 19 assists; Ivy 4 aces, 3 kills; Brown 3 aces, 11 kills, 4 digs; Mari Johnson 6 aces, 3 kills; Taylor Duffie 5 aces.

Archer City standouts – (vs. Vernon) Abby Havens 6 digs; Jill Liles 3 kills, 5 assists; (vs. Hirschi) Kadence Huffman 4 digs, 7 aces; Liles 4 digs, 4 assists, 5 kills; (vs. Bridgeport) Becca Taggart 2 kills; Liles 5 assists; Huffman 9 digs.

Saturday’s Bracket Play

GOLD BRACKET

First round

Bowie d. Bridgeport, 25-6, 25-23

Boyd d. Nocona

Vernon d. Burkburnett, 25-4, 25-22

Henrietta d. Windthorst

Consolation semifinals

Nocona d. Bridgeport

Windthorst d. Burkburnett, 25-6, 25-12

Seventh-Place game

Bridgeport d. Burkburnett, 25-10, 17-25, 25-17

Consolation final

Windthorst d. Nocona, 25-15, 25-15

Semifinals

Boyd d. Bowie

Henrietta d. Vernon, 25-13, 25-15

Third-place game

Bowie d. Vernon

Championship

Henrietta d. Boyd, 25-22, 25-18

SILVER BRACKET

First round

Northside d. Hirschi

Borger d. City View, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23

Petrolia d. Archer City

Pampa d. Quanah

Consolation semifinals

City View d. Hirschi

Quanah d. Archer City

Seventh-place game

Archer City d. Hirschi

Consolation final

City View d. Quanah, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23

Semifinals

Borger d. Northside

Pampa d. Petrolia

Third-place game

Northside d. Petrolia

Championship

Pampa d. Borger, 25-16, 25-16

Archer City standouts – (vs. Petrolia) Huffman 7 digs; havens 2 kills; (vs. Quanah) Havens 9 digs; Liles 9 digs, 10 assists; (vs. Hirschi) Huffman 6 digs; Liles 8 assists; Brynlee Skelton 5 kills.

BEV BALL CLASSIC

at Abilene

Friday’s Pool Play

(Local results only.)

Pool A – Abilene Cooper d. Iowa Park, 25-11, 25-17; Iowa Park d. San Angelo Lake View, 25-22, 25-19; Krum d. Iowa Park, 25-16, 25-18.

Pool C – Holliday d. Leadership Prep, 25-8, 25-8; Holliday d. Burleson, 29-27, 25-19; Holliday d. Brock, 29-27, 29-27; Holliday d. Abilene Wylie, 25-21, 25-19.

Pool D – Abilene High d. WFHS, 25-20, 25-22; Wall d. WFHS, 25-16, 25-13; Paadise d. WFHS, 28-30, 25-20, 25-21

Holliday standouts – (vs. Leadership) Addison Lindemann 6 kills, 3 aces, 6 digs; Sidney Linn 5 kills, 5 digs; Katy Piper 5 kills; Belle Welch 14 assists; Kelby Jones 5 aces, 4 digs. (vs. Burleson) Lindemann 5 kils, 7 digs; Linn 5 kills, 9 digs; Piper 4 kills, 2 blocks; Kenna Wood 4 kills; Welch 15 assists, 7 digs; Braylie Womack 2 assists; Grayson Castagna 5 assists; Kelby Jones 15 digs, 3 aces; Allie Davis 8 digs. (vs. Brock) Lindemann 10 kills, 4 digs; Piper 7 kills; Wood 6 kills; Linn 4 kills; Bella Timms 3 digs; Welch 20 assists, 4 digs; Davis 12 digs; Kelby Jones 10 digs. (vs. Wylie) Lindemann 4 kills; Linn 4 kills; Piper 5 kills; Campbell Jurecek 2 kills; Welch 12 assists, 6 digs; Davis 6 digs; Jones 11 digs, 4 aces.

Saturday’s Bracket Play

GOLD BRACKET

First Round

Holliday d. Abilene High, 25-18, 25-19

Standouts – (H) Lindemann 7 kills, 4 digs; Linn 5 kills, 9 digs; Wood 5 kills; Jurecek 4 kills; Welch 13 assists, 2 digs; Timms 3 aces, 10 digs; Jones 8 digs.

Semifinal

Holliday d. Clyde, 25-16, 25-21

Championship

Holliday d. Abilene Wylie, 26-24, 18-25, 25-13

SILVER BRACKET

First round

WFHS d. San Angelo Lake View, 25-18, 25-18

Paradise d. Iowa Park, 25-10, 25-12

Semifinals

Brock d. WFHS, 25-19, 25-8

Third-place game

Paradise d. WFHS, 24-26, 25-14, 25-17

Consolation semifinals

Lake View d. Iowa Park, 22-25, 25-22, 26-24

DENTON RYAN KICKOFF TOURNAMENT

Thursday’s Pool Play

Rider d. Bryan Adams, 25-6, 25-13

Rider d. Temple, 25-9, 25-13

Rider d. Denton Ryan, 26-24, 17-25, 26-24

Standout – (R) Sophia Curry 18 straight serves.

Friday’s Pool Play

Rider d. Red Oak, 25-20, 25-14

Frisco Centennial d. Rider, 25-21, 25-14

Rider d. Springtown, 25-23, 25-23

Rider standouts (cumulative) – Kendall Toliver 20 kills; Madi Bobbitt 14 kills; Lauren Ramirez 10 kills; Jenna Redding 36 digs; Corinne Ashcraft 8 blocks.

Saturday’s Bracket Play

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

First round

Aubrey d. Rider, 21-25, 25-21, 25-17

Consolation semifinal

Rider d. Denton Ryan, 25-21, 26-24

Consolation final

Chisholm Trail d. Rider, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22

Rider standouts (cumulative) – Madison Bobbitt 24 kills; Kendall Toliver 20 kills, 21 digs; Taegen Ward 16 kills, 16 blocks; Corinne Ashcraft 17 kills, 21 blocks; Jenna Redding 24 digs.

Record – Rider 6-3.

TAPPS TOURNAMENT

Saturday’s Bracket Play

Silver Bracket

First round

Christ Academy d. Temple Christian, 25-13, 25-12

Standouts – (CA) Brooklyn Lane 3 kills, 4 aces, 4 digs, 11 assists; Bella Rose 9 kills, 3 aces, 6 digs, 6 assists; Haley Carnes 9 digs, 2 aces.

Semifinals

Christ Academy d. Lutheran High School, 25-10, 25-15

Standouts – (CA) Lane 8 kills, 2 aces, 7 digs, 11 assists; Rose 8 kills, 6 digs, 6 assists; Carnes 17 digs, 2 aces.

Championship

Christ Academy d. Trinity Christian, 25-20, 25-21

Standouts – (CA) Lane 3 kills, 3 aces, 6 digs, 12 assists; Rose 10 kills, 5 aces, 8 digs, 6 assists; Carnes 15 digs, 2 aces; Caitlyn Hopper 5 kills, 4 digs.

BENJAMIN TOURNAMENT

Saturday – Benjamin d. Olney, 25-7, 25-11; Knox City d. Olney, 25-21, 25-18

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls area high school volleyball scores Aug. 11-13