Westlake eliminates South volleyball team

SAN ANTONIO - Austin Westlake showed why its was the state runner-up in 2007 and owns a national ranking this season, defeating Harlingen South 25-10, 25-7, 25-11 Friday night at the Region IV-5A semifinals at St. Mary's University.

The Chaparrals had 39 kills against just seven attack errors, had eight blocks and picked up 11 service aces. They held South, who entered the match with 11 straight wins, to just 13 kills in the match.

"Obviously we ran into a tremendous team tonight," South coach Steve Lunsford said. "They were just superior to what we showed. I'm proud of our kids for keeping their heads up and fighting the whole match."

The Lady Hawks (29-7) came out of the gate strong, taking the early lead in the first game. But with the game tied at 5, the Chaparrals took command. Ella Praisner and Abby Howden each had three kills and two blocks in an 8-0 run that gave Westlake a 13-5 lead. From there the Chaparrals cruised to the 25-10 win.

The Chaparrals carried the momentum of the first game into the second, starting with an 18-2 run. That run ended with a 25-7 win, as Sara Shaw led the way with six kills. The Lady Hawks struggled at the net, with Westlake picking up four more blocks and South totaling four kills against six attack errors.

In the final game, the Lady Hawks hung with the Chaparrals early thanks to the strong hitting of junior Amanda Duran, who led the team with seven kills in the match. A Duran kill made the score 12-7 and gave South some momentum midway through the set. But a Hannah Hood kill gave the serve back to Westlake and Tessa Hunt smacked three straight service aces to give the Chaparrals a commanding 17-7 lead.

From there they finished off the match 25-11.

"I felt like we were a little sluggish at first, but we got better and better as the match went on," said Westlake coach Al Bennett, whose team will face San Antonio Reagan in the regional championship match at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Despite the loss the future looks bright for the Lady Hawks, who return most of their starting lineup.

"We really came together as a team during the season," said junior libero Ariel Guevara, who had 16 digs. "We had a lot of fun this season, and we will be back next year."