Sports
Lady Tigers pick up first 8-5A victory
Monday, 24 September 2012 by Grayson Edds
Belton’s McKenzee Robinson goes for a kill during the Lady Tigers’ match against Killeen. Robinson was a junior varsity call up for injured senior Savannah Frick. The Lady Tigers won their first District 8-5A match 25-18, 25-19 and 25-15.At their first district volleyball game of the season, the Lady Tigers substituted junior varstiy player McKenzee Robinson for Savannah Frick, sr. right hitter, who was out with a knee injury, and still went on to beat Killen 25-18, 25-19, and 25-15.
Belton came out strong in the first game, landing four points before Killeen scored their first.
Alexus Dunning, sr. outside hitter, made the kill for their fifth point, but Killeen closed the gap by scoring the next four points consecutively. Kyler Watkins, sr. middle hitter, and Monica Gonzales, jr. middle hitter, both scored one for the home team before Killeen landed another point. The Tigers didn't let that slow them down, and scored the next five points on Killeen due to some ferocious hits by Brieanne Brown, jr. outside hitter, Robinson, and Maggie Kramer, sr. setter.
Killeen gained a point due to an unsuccessful serve by BHS, and followed it with two kills of their own, but Gonzales, Watkins, Dunning and Brown each planted one for the Lady Tigers.
The score was close at the end of the game, 21-18, but Madelyn Graves, sr. setter, and Lexie Johanson, sr. defensive specialist, helped Belton score the last four points of the game.
Killeen scored the first point in the second game, but Dunning countered and scored the first point for Belton. Watkins and Gonzalez both scored another point for the Lady Tigers, but Killeen came back and scored three consecutive points. It remained point-for-point until Robinson scored two points back to back. Unfortunately, Killeen scored three points, one to a technicality, before Belton scored the next two.
The next three points were scored by Killeen, but Brown and Watkins each scored one, while Robinson scored the next two in their favor.
Shortly thereafter the score was 23-19, and a score by Dunning and a technicality on Killeen's behalf ended the game with a score of 25-19.
With only one win needed for Belton to win the match, Killeen scored the first point, but Belton retaliated by scoring the next three, one of which was thanks to Kramer. After some gruesome back and forth, the score was close until Watkins, Brown, two out of bounds points in Belton's favor and a hit by Gonzalez brought Belton up by five points.
Robinson showed her worth on the varsity team by scoring one and assisting with one before Killeen came up with two points, which wasn't enough to slow Watkins and Moore down, who were responsible for the next three of Belton's scores and helped create the gap that would ultimately shut down Killeen's efforts.
Killeen may have gained four more points by the end of the game, but Graves was solely responsible for the last two points for Belton with her ferocious serves, which ended the game 25-15.
BHS Coach Stacy Meyers was proud of the team's win and said that Killeen's team was strong, but didn't quite have the touch needed to beat us.
"They're athletic as all get out, but volleyball is different than basketball. You need more finesse, and they don't have that. Our assignment was good, our intensity wasn't quite there, but overall we played consistent. We made some mistakes, but not horrific ones where we just rolled over. We didn't give the other team any big runs where we gave up five, six, seven points, and that was our intent, and we did that. We're still trying to gain confidence, but we're doing a lot better."
Their next home game is against Temple on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
