Volleyball gets statement wins

Lady Texan volleyball continued to make statements last week with signature wins. Coach Stephanie Barthels and her team traveled to Cuero Tuesday for a non-district match against a potential first round playoff opponent. The Lady Gobblers (2214, 9-2 in district) sit second in their district behind the No. 4 stateranked La Vernia Lady Bears.

The Lady Texans (2610, 7-4 in district) were coming off a needed win versus Boerne. Coach Barthels encouraged the team to step up their intensity against Cuero. “We came out against Boerne without a lot of energy. We weren’t as aggressive as we can be so we talked about staying focused and finishing in 3 sets.”

The Lady Texans won 25-15, 25-18, and 25-18 in the victory. Sophomore Laney Hennessee garnered 12 kills and senior Emily Thames had eight to go with seven from junior Kenslee Brown. Hennessee also led Wimberley with three service aces while freshman Mariah Mc-Coy served up two. Mc-Coy was active at the net with four blocked shots. Junior Jesse Weeks led all players with 24 assists as freshman Carson Peoples added 15. Senior Maddy Harris hustled for 15 digs followed closely by sophomore Rhagen Masur’s 11. “They got after it and stayed focused. Their communication was great,” Barthels said.

The Lady Texans followed up with a 3-1 win against Navarro Friday night in a do-or-die situation. Coach Barthels said, “We knew a win solidified our second place finish in district and that a loss could move us down to fourth, setting up an unfavorable seed at Bi-District playoffs.” The team did not suffer a let down and continued their good communications on and off court. “They showed up ready to go and ready to play,” Barthels shared, adding, “Lauren Boyle contributes so much to our team communications and focus.”

Rhagen Masur had 2 of Wimberley’s six aces and Jesse Weeks displayed her impressive skills by posting 29 assists. Maddy Harris and Laney Hennessee dominated kill shots with 15 and 14 respectively. Kenslee Brown added 10 more kills which were “big hits,” according to Coach Barthels. “She’s swinging really well and kept the front line in it,” she added.

“Our defensive effort was also a big deal,” Barthels said, pointing out double-digit dig totals from Hennessee (20,) Masur (18,) Harris (14,) and Weeks (10.) Mariah McCoy led Wimberley at the net with 2 blocks.

Set scores were 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, and 25-14.

District play concluded Tuesday night against Canyon Lake. The Lady Texans will be in action Friday in Johnson City in a playoff prep match with playoffs starting early next week.