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Poteet, Mesquite earn their way into volleyball playoffs with play-in victories, Sunnyvale hoping to continue strong play
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
Some area volleyball teams have been preparing for the start of the playoffs for several weeks.
Others were not as fortunate.
Poteet and Mesquite were among the teams that not only had to fight and claw during the final week of the regular season, but they had to put in some extra time on Friday to earn their place in the postseason field.
Poteet will play a Class 4A bi-district playoff game against Frisco Centennial, the 9-4A champion, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Naaman Forest High School.
The Pirates had to beat Carrollton Newman Smith not once, but twice in three days to earn their spot. After knocking off the Trojans in a four games to force a tie for fourth in 20-4A, Poteet returned to the court on Friday and posted a 25-17, 25-20, 26-24 victory over the same Newman Smith team at Highland Park High School to clinch the final playoff spot.
It was a sweet accomplishment for the Pirates, who have battled through injury for much of the season.
"I like the way we are playing right now," Poteet head coach Lisa Lisewsky said. "This is a much different team than it was a few weeks ago."
Mesquite had to fight through three must-win games down the stretch and it prevailed each time to earn a date with 11-5A champion Rowlett on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at North Mesquite High School.
Sitting at 2-8 in district play, the Skeeters swept North Mesquite and then earned a four-game victory over Longview to force a tie for fourth place with Horn.
The play-in game between the two rivals was a thriller. After dropping the opening game, the Jaguars stormed back to take the next two and move to within a game of the playoff berth.
But Mesquite would not be denied, rallying back to claim a 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-6 victory at West Mesquite High School.
The Skeeters have gotten solid net play from Viershanie Latham and Neka Nelson, and the emergence of sophomore Chamberlain Robinson has helped. Versatile players such as Peyton Belt, Briana Caro and Gayle Lockett have also played big roles.
But they will have to take it up another level against Rowlett, which won 11 consecutive district matches to claim the 11-5A championship.
The Eagles are led by Breanna McIlroy, who led the team with 409 kills, 79 aces and 394 digs and was second with 37 blocks. Travia Jones and Sarah McCombs are also solid at the net, while Taylor Bennett is another big key, with 119 kills, 621 assists, 232 digs and 41 aces.
Sachse earned the third seed out of 11-5A and played better as the stretch run hit. The Mustangs will play Rockwall, the 12-5A runner-up at 6 p.m. at the Curtis Culwell Special Events Center in Garland.
The Mustangs are strong up front with Erin Richburg, who has 237 kills, and Jaliyah Bolden, who has 200 kills. Michelle Maxwell and Ebony Carter have also been solid.
Emily Brown (409 assists) and Casey Enna (377 assists) run the offense, while Lauren Cole and Chelsea Followwell are among those well-rounded players who contribute both offensively and defensively.
Sunnyvale played an unevenly balanced district schedule early on that got them off to a rough start with a pair of losses to eventual 12-2A champion Pilot Point and another to Caddo Mills.
But the Raiders turned it on down the stretch to finish 9-3 and take second in district play.
Sunnyvale will face Whitesboro in the first round on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Anna High School.
The Raiders have been in this position before, with several starters who have been through the postseason battles, and they are hoping that pays off starting on Tuesday.
"There are certain girls we feel we can count on that have been in this position," Sunnyvale head coach Nicholas Gay said. "I think it will be a competitive match (Whitesboro), but I don't think they've seen a team with as much firepower as we have, so we are confident."
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