Tuesday, April 23, 2024
In a battle of two teams with the same mascot, it was the Gatesville Hornets that rose to the occasion and earned an area volleyball championship in a sweep, defeating the Caldwell Hornets 3-0 to advance to round three of the playoffs.
Gatesville improved to 24-19 with the win and moved on to a regional semifinal game against Lago Vista.
Strong fan support kept the playoff venue, The Hive at Academy High School, rocking and helped encourage Gatesville throughout the evening, and the Hornets responded by winning their sixth straight match.
Gatesville spotted Caldwell a 3-0 lead in the first game before Kaleigh Haywood got a kill for the Hornets’ first points of the night. A service ace by fellow senior Lola Barron gave GHS its first lead, 4-3.
Caldwell had the hot hand and scored five straight points before a kill by Chloe Mathews helped Gatesville regain some momentum.
A kill by junior Barrett Boyd put GHS ahead 11-10 and the Lady Hornets began to pull away to take control of game one, pulling out a 25-16 victory. Boyd later had an ace for the Hornets, followed by outstanding plays from freshman Emma Pollard and seniors Lola Barron and Haywood. It was an ace by Haywood that gave GHS its game-winning score in the opening set.
Riding a wave of momentum, Gatesville took a 3-0 lead in the second game fueled by Pollard and Haywood’s timely hits. Lola Barron then delivered back-to-back aces to put GHS up 6-1.
Gatesville continued to dominate game two, as a kill by Mathews gave the Hornets a commanding 16-5 lead. Caldwell clawed its way back, but Gatesville never allowed its opponent to pull closer than a six-point deficit in game two. An ace by junior Barrett Boyd gave Gatesville its game-winning points and a 25-17 triumph.
Caldwell was at its best in game three, seeking to avoid the sweep and playing with intensity with the season on the line. Caldwell surged to an 8-5 lead before Gatesville settled down and began to battle back.
A thunderous kill by Haywood helped to turn the tide, and Lola Barron’s ace put the Hornets up 11-9.
The game remained tight with several lead changes as Caldwell attempted to seize the momentum, but an ace by sophomore Vania Martinez knotted the game at 15-15. Caldwell scored the next two points, but after Pollard blocked a shot and tied the game at 17-17, Gatesville would not trail again.
Caldwell closed the gap to 24-23, but Pollard responded with a spike that gave Gatesville a 25-23 win.
Strong fan support kept the playoff venue, The Hive at Academy High School, rocking and helped encourage Gatesville throughout the evening, and the Hornets responded by winning their sixth straight match.
The Lady Hornets kept their playoff venues in Central Texas on Nov. 8 with their matchup being held in Lake Belton. Lago Vista had a 22-23 season record heading into the game, including playoff wins over China Spring and Giddings.
