Keller falls in volleyball state semifinals as Indians and Tompkins go the distance
With a spot in the state championship game in its sights, Keller fell short to Katy Tompkins, 24-26, 25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 11-15 in a 6A semifinal match on Friday night at Culwell Center.
Keller ends the season with a 33-12 record.
The Indians have reached state in back-to-back seasons with 2021 being their first time.
Keller scored the first point of the fifth set, but after Tompkins grabbed the lead, the Indians were never in front again. Tompkins led 8-5 and Keller was able to score three straight to tie the game at 8.
The game was tied at 9, but the Falcons scored the next three to go up 12-9. Carley Wright and Reagan Sharp each scored for the Indians to get them within two at 12-10 and 13-11, but the Falcons closed it out to clinch the program’s first state title appearance.
Tompkins (42-4) will play Dripping Springs at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the 6A state championship.
“It was a fight. It was a battle. I didn’t think anything would be easy this week. It’s the best of the best,” said Keller coach Danielle Barker, who’s in her first year with the program. “I’m proud of how we fought. Tompkins came to fight too. High caliber teams and unfortunately it didn’t fall in our favor in those last couple of points.”
Keller has played in three state tournament games (1-2) with each going five sets. The Indians did set a UIL 6A state tourney record with 15 aces. The previous mark was held by San Antonio Clark (14) in 2004.
Senior libero Kea Whillock tied the individual mark with seven (2003).
“Our bond definitely helped us get here,” Whillock said. “We have a lot of returners from last year, but I think the underclassmen have really stepped up. It takes courage. It can be stressful out there, but the underclassmen did a good job.”
The Indians dropped the opening set, which wasn’t new to them. They also lost the first set to Southlake Carroll in the regional quarterfinals before winning in five, and to Prosper in the 6A Region 1 final before winning in four.
Keller led 10-6 in the first set, but the Falcons tied it at 14. Sharp, the team leader in kills, had a solo block to put the Indians on top at 19-16. The game was tied at 21-21, 22-22 and 24-24. But the Falcons finished strong to grab the 1-0 lead.
Anna Flores picked up an ace and Wright scored to get Keller ahead 5-3 in the second. Tompkins answered with a 7-1 run before USC commit Leah Ford’s kill tied the game at 9. Wright had a powerful kill on right side and Keller went up 20-16. Whillock had an ace and Keller would end with a 9-1 run to tie the match.
“When we dropped the first set to Southlake, it was new to us. But we said oh well, okay, it’s in the past. Go for the next one,” Barker said. “We have a veteran team and starting crew who’s done this before, this playoff run. So they know how to turn it on and compete.”
Flores, Sharp and Ford scored to pace the Keller third as the Indians took a 2-1 lead. Keller led for much of the first half of the fourth set, including at 8-5, 10-7 and 13-11. But the Falcons rallied to tie it at 15.
Polivka assisted on a Ford kill to make it 16-15 Keller, but Tompkins scored five of the next six points for a 20-17 lead. Keller tied it at 20 and pulled within 23-22 on a Ford kill, but Tompkins closed the set out to force a fifth.
“They’re passing was better. Our serve was awesome, but I don’t think it got worse, I think they’re passing just got better. We were serving tough,” Barker said. “Tompkins started to switch their lineups and showing different match ups which didn’t faze us in the second and third sets, but in the fourth and fifth they started the figure out those match ups. They have some big weapons and when they’re in system, it’s hard to stop them.”
Ford had 15 kills and hit 0.414. Sharp and Flores added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Polivka, a Miami signee had 46 assists. She was named MVP at the 6A Region 1 tournament.
Brooklyn Harter and Wright added nine and six kills.
Whillock had 22 digs and Bailey Cooper served up three aces.
“Just an amazing group of girls,” Polivka said. “It’s a special group and we have great chemistry. We went to state twice, not just once, but twice and to do it with this group is awesome and surreal.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 8:53 PM.
