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Perrin’s Makenna Mathis (5) looks for the kill against Bryson’s Tracy Hauger during a recent match. Bryson swept past Garner in bi-district action Tuesday, Nov. 1. Photo/Dena Turner
Some playoff seasons are referred to as “gold ball chasing” in reference to the trophies that are presented to the winning school.
Bryson’s volleyball team has done quite of bit of chasing in the last few years, making it to the regional tournament and going to State one year. Another trip to Garland and the State tournament is the goal of this year’s squad.
Bryson got off on the right foot down the playoff trail Nov. 1, needing just 53 minutes to take care of first-year playoff team and high school Garner in 25-15, 25-6, 25-18 fashion.
The Longhorns, consisting of all freshmen gave a gutty performance but the veteran Bryson squad, which had seven seniors let their experience show. Senior Tracy Hauger’s three-point string, aided by kills from Kaylie Sherrin and Riley Valliant, staked the hostesses to a 4-1 lead in game one.
Garner’s Hailey Gaston equalled Hauger to give the visitors a 5-4 lead. It would prove to be their final lead of the game as an Emery Fisher single, put home by an Allie Orr kill, and a four-point skein from Valliant forced a Longhorn timeout down 6-11.
Garner got within 9-11 on Matilee Macie points but no closer. Hanna Perez’s kill set the table for a Morgan Eberle point. Orr then broke the game open with a four-point string, including an ace, for an 18-10 lead.
The Longhorns would get no closer than six the rest of the way as Zoey Morrow’s single, put home by a Valliant kill and a three-point Fisher run, helped by a Sherrin block ended the game.
Fisher continued the offensive show into game two, using a fivepoint run to go up 8-2. Valliant moved the lead into double figures at 14-3 with another fivepoint skein.
Garner had just two single serving points the whole game by Gaston and Jacey Smith. Bryson closed things out with a four-point Eberle run, with kills by Orr and Perez moving the lead to 19-4, and Orr’s final five tallies.
Looking their potential final game of the season in the face, Garner got out to a 2-0 lead on Jenna Hallmark points. Bryson used a Hauger pair to go up 3-2. The Longhorns again had difficulty getting more than one serving point at a time however, using singles from Tarryn Wakefield and Macie to take a 7-6 lead.
Bryson broke serve and let Eberle do her thing with a game-long seven point run. Kills from Orr and Perez again kept things going as the Cowgirls went up 14-7.
Orr rolled off a threepoint string with Fisher adding a pair to set up match point.
Bryson traveled to Wichita Falls for an area round matchup with Vernon Northside Thursday night. It would prove to be the end for the Cowgirls, as the Lady Indians won in four games in a game played at City View.
