'Unstoppable'

Lady Cats pull ahead and don't look back in last home game

SA Times - A district title with an exclamation point. The Central High School volleyball team rocked Midland Lee on Saturday with a surprisingly lopsided three-game sweep to earn at least a share of the District 3-5A championship. With a packed Central gym cheering them on, the Lady Cats blasted the Lady Rebels 25-18, 25-14, 25-9 in a match that was also the final home game for nine Central seniors. "We just came out pumped up, and everyone was ready to go," Central senior Lyric Ross said, who led the way with 13 kills. "We prepared all week for this, and we just did a good job executing and pulling out a win."

Lee entered the game as co-leader of the district with Central, having an impressive overall record of 33-6 with a 9-1 mark in district. But the Lady Rebels were overwhelmed by a Central team that seemed to have everything clicking. "I thought the communication on the floor was phenomenal," Central head coach Connie Bozarth said. "We saw some defensive plays that were outstanding, and I thought our hitters were pretty much unstoppable." The opening game was actually extremely tight and tied at 17-17 until an emphatic Kaitlyn Standard kill sparked a 7-0 run that helped Central pull away. It was all over from there.

Central jumped out to an early lead in the second game and closed it out with a 13-5 run. The third game seemed to be nothing more than a coronation for the now-back-to-back district champs. With the Lady Cats leading 20-6, Central's student section began chanting, "Where's our trophy?" One last spike by Ross soon made it official. "It was amazing," said Central senior Jennifer Horn, who had 10 digs, including a highlight-reel one-handed diving stab that slipped over the net for a point in the third game. "I think we played like a team. We all came together, and we all did what we were supposed to do. Everything was like perfect. It's awesome." Regan Darby paced Central's offense with 38 assists, while the hard-hitting attack at the net saw plenty of contributors, including Stephanie Starnes with 11 kills and Standard with seven. "We weren't always hitting with power either," said Ross. "We used some smart hits to get the ball down, too."

The Lady Cats defense was led by Ashley Darby with 15 digs and Alyssa Riddle with 14 digs. Starnes and Standard combined for eight blocks. Central's district run isn't over yet. The Lady Cats can be assured of sole possession of the district title - and the No. 1 playoff seed that comes with it - with a win Tuesday at Odessa High. "We're not done," Bozarth said. "We celebrated that, but until it's ours just by ourselves, we're not gonna rest on our laurels."