Senior outside hitter Chloe Kelly hit a huge attack in the first set against Anderson, ending the point. That clinched the first set for the Chaps, adding to an impressive day for the substitutes. Westlake’s reserves gave them a huge spark in the first set, propelling them to a 25-22 win.
“A lot of times when people come off the bench, they are cold,” head coach Miguel Saenz said. “But our players weren’t. They came in and got kills right away. Right off the bench they did a great job of getting us some momentum.”
Varsity volleyball (19-13) took down Anderson (12-9) in a 3-0 sweep Sept. 10 on Al Bennett Court at Yvonne Adams Gym. The Chaps withstood a Trojan run to win the first set, leading them to an emphatic victory.
”We got the momentum at the end of the set and didn’t look back” senior setter Trinity Johnston said, “We’ve been [together] for a long time, so our communication is really good”
The Lady Chaps took an early lead, going up 20-13 in the first set thanks to the starters going on a 12-2 run. The Trojans tired out the Chaparral starters, however. Anderson went on a 5-0 run which brought them within two points. Later substitutions from Kelly and Johnston helped them hold off the Trojan run, closing out the first set, 25-22.
“We need to work on our offense at times,” Saenz said. “The types of plays we are running and the location of the ball could be more consistent.”
The Trojans led for the first time when they scored three-straight points early in the set to go up 3-0. Westlake bounced back and started from where they had left off, eventually breaking the tie to go up 11-9. The two squads were back and forth rotating in players with Anderson closing the Chaparral lead to three. Westlake finally closed out the second set after a quick 8-2 run and winning 25-16
“I liked our physicality,” Saenz said. “We served really well, and we have a lot of height at the net. We finished those last two sets well, and our defense was phenomenal.”
The Chaps raced out to a 16-4 lead in the third set, continuing a match of runs. Anderson responded, going on a quick 10-2 run that caused Westlake to call its first timeout of the third set. With the Trojans surging and their backs against the wall in the set, the Chaps slammed the door on Anderson, closing out the set and the match in dominant fashion with a 25-19 win.
“We closed out the game well,” Saedz said. “Our height at the net was a big reason why. I was happy with the way we ended the game.”
After another sweep, this time against Del Valle, Westlake will hit the court next at Austin High Sept. 17. The Maroons are 31-3 and have one of the best records in the state. They took down Bowie in their district opener, and haven’t met the Chaps yet this season.
