Keller opens volleyball season with road win over Aledo and more from Fort Worth-area
Keller 3, Aledo 0
The Danielle Barker era got off to a victorious start during the season opener on Tuesday night as the Indians beat the Ladycats, 25-22, 25-16, 25-18.
Barker came over to Keller this spring after previously leading Flower Mound Marcus. Barker won three state titles as a player at Amarillo under head coach and mother, Jan Barker.
Leah Ford (USC commit) had 11 kills and four solo blocks while senior setter and Miami commit Taylor Polivka put in 29 assists. Polivka and Ford are both top area players, ranked at No. 7 and No. 9, respectively.
Keller, which went to the state championship match for the first time in program history last season, shook off a shaky start. The Indians are the top-ranked Class 6A team in the Fort Worth-area preseason rankings.
Aledo, No. 4 in the 5A rankings, started strong in the opening set.
Junior Vivian Parker (No. 11) picked up a solo block to give the Ladycats a 6-2 lead. Skylar Lambert’s block capped off a 5-1 run for Aledo, which continued to lead at 13-11.
But Keller rallied with back-to-back blocks from Ford and an ace capped off a first-game rally for the Indians.
Keller led 13-8 in the second set that forced an Aledo timeout.
A long rally was finished off with a kill by Reagan Sharp to give Keller a 22-15 lead. Anna Flores got set point with a block for a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Indians started the third set on fire with a 9-3 lead. Polivka assisted a Brooklyn Harter kill.
Lambert picked up a block to start an Aledo rally and pulled the Ladycats within 17-12. But Sharp ended the game on match point, one of her seven kills, to give Keller a 1-0 start to the season.
Top performer
Kenzi Williamson, Grandview
Williamson put in 43 assists and 14 digs, and the Zebras opened the season with a win over the Indians, 24-26, 25-16, 25-21, 22-25, 15-12. The Zebras entered the season No. 2 in the Fort Worth-area preseason rankings for Class 4A and others. Williamson finished last season with the most aces in the state.
Shelby Martin had a game-high 16 kills and Olivia Bauerschlag chipped in 14 digs and five aces.
Best win
Keller Central 3, Birdville 0
The Chargers started the season with a big sweep over 5A ranked Birdville, 25-21, 26-24, 25-19. Birdville is No. 5 in the 5A preseason rankings and coming off a trip to the regional quarterfinals.
Team debut
Argyle 3, Mesquite Horn 0
Katelyn Johnson got her first win as head coach at Argyle as the Eagles got their first win as a Class 5A team with a sweep in the season opener against the Jaguars, 25-17, 25-13, 25-16. Argyle won 31 games last season and reached the Class 4A Region 1 final before moving up to 5A during February’s UIL realignment.
Sydney Payne led the Eagles with 18 assists. Shaye Feely had nine kills and Camryn Heiser added seven. Olivia Sanchez and Katherine Holtman chipped in six and five kills, respectively.
Piper Mickenheim had a game-high 18 digs and Sanchez had 13.
Argyle is No. 9 in the 5A preseason area rankings.
Haltom 3, Irving Nimitz 1
The Buffalos opened the season with a win over Nimitz, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16 to give new coach Kristinn Holbrooks her first win with the program. Georgia Stinson (No. 20) also had her team debut after helping Birdville last season. She had 12 kills and 15 assists.
Ashlee Garnder added 16 digs and Linette Medrano chipped in nine kills and three aces.
Weatherford 3, Abilene 0
Karli Morrison, who comes over from Lubbock-Cooper, got her first win with the Kangaroos during a 25-17, 25-12, 25-14 sweep over the Eagles at home.
Texas Tech commit Kate Hansen (No. 4) put in 10 kills while Riess Griffith (No. 24) had a game-high 14 kills. Roisin Owens and Maddy Ballard combined for 35 assists and Veronica Cruz had five of the team’s 10 aces.
Weatherford is No. 7 in the 6A preseason area rankings.
Monday night replay
Midlothian 3, Keller Timber Creek 1
Kenna Buchanan recorded 24 kills on 0.500 hitting and the Panthers rallied from an opening-set loss to beat the Falcons on Monday, 20-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21.
The Panthers are No. 2 in the 5A preseason area rankings. Buchanan is No. 2 in the player rankings and preseason all-area MVP. She also had 19 digs.
Lauren Safrit added 11 kills and 18 digs and Jenna McMichael, preseason all-area defensive MVP, had 18 digs. Avery Shanahan and Angelina Masojc each had five blocks each.
Midlothian had an early lead until Timber Creek reeled off six straight points. The Falcons led 15-11 in the first set. Timber Creek never gave up the lead and took a 1-0 lead in the match. The Panthers used a 10-2 run to open the second and Buchanan smacked down an over pass to give Midlothian a 20-11 lead.
Lily Hamilton got back-to-back blocks to give Timber Creek a 7-5 lead in the third, but Safrit got a point to tie it at 11. Masojc blocked an attempt and Midlothian led 19-16.
Hamilton had a team-high 12 kills and gave the Falcons a 15-12 lead in the fourth, but the Panthers rallied to tie it at 20 and then Buchanan converted another over pass for a 22-20 lead.
Midlothian Heritage 3, Kennedale 0
The Jaguars opened the season with a sweep at home on Monday night, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15.
Grace Sweeney led with a game-high 12 kills while Allie Schmidt and Emilee Casey each had seven kills. Tatum Giddens had four blocks and Sweeney chipped in 11 digs. Kameron Chilcutt had 16 assists.
Heritage moved up to Class 5A and is No. 10 in the preseason area rankings.
Area scores
Argyle Liberty Christian 3, Frisco Legacy Christian 0
Arlington Martin 3, Richland 0
Arlington Sam Houston 3, FW Dunbar 0
Azle 3, Bridgeport 0
Benbrook 3, FW North Side 2
Brewer 3, Lake Worth 1
Byron Nelson 3, Justin Northwest 0
Colleyville Heritage 3, Southlake Carroll 0
Crowley 3, Grand Prairie 0
Euless Trinity 3, Arlington Lamar 2
FW Carter-Riverside 3, Everman 0
FW South Hills 3, Irving MacArthur 0
Godley 3, FW Trimble Tech 0
Granbury 3, Mansfield Lake Ridge 1
Grandview 3, Alvarado 2
Joshua 3, FW Paschal 0
Keller Fossil Ridge 3, LD Bell 1
LD Bell 3, Abilene Cooper 0
Mansfield 3, Guyer 1
Mansfield Legacy 3, Arlington 1
Mansfield Timberview 3, Chisholm Trail 1
Millsap 3, Mineral Wells 0
Rio Vista 3, Abbott 1
Saginaw 3, FW All Saints 1
Stephenville 3, Burleson 0
Waxahachie 3, Burleson Centennial 0
Willow Park Trinity 3, Bishop Dunne 0
This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 9:20 PM.
