By Michael Adams
madams@austinsportsjournal.com
ROUND ROCK – There are few things in life that are certainties – death, taxes and late season chaos in District 25-6A [insert sport here].
Living up to that reputation, Round Rock’s volleyball team played lights out defense Tuesday and went on to defeat first-place Vandegrift in four sets, 25-18, 25-23, 27-29, 24-23.
The Dragons (27-13, 8-2 District 25-6A) weren’t the most efficient offense with a .145 team hitting percentage, but got the job done defensively with a total 15 blocks and 98 digs.
If defense wins championships, Round Rock put its stamp on one in front of a full house at Round Rock High School.
“These girls played their guts out,” said Round Rock head coach Christi Dreier. “They never stopped. We turned the corner a little bit when we played Cedar Ridge. We did some really good things and they’ve just gotten better the second half of district.”
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The difference of Alexa Ankerstar
The senior setter is Round Rock’s unequivocal leader on the court. While listed as a setter on the Dragons’ roster, the UNLV commit’s reach is all over the court providing offensive firepower as an outside hitter, back-line defense and plays with the height of a middle blocker.
It was all on display Tuesday as Aknerstar led the Dragons with team-highs of 14 kills and eight blocks to go with 22 assists and 10 digs.
“We didn’t have her, like, the first 20 matches of the season, which is a testament to our record,” Dreier said. “You got a Division I setter that is swinging for us. What’s so great about Lexi is not just what she does on the floor, but she’s an incredible leader. The kids trust her… She’s the epitome of what you have to have on your team to be successful.”
A collective effort
Make no mistake about it, Tuesday’s win was a team effort. Sophomore middle blocker Kerington Thornton contributed 13 kills and seven blocks, while Parker Featherstone had nine kills and four digs. Libero Emily Traun had a team-high 15 digs and setter Coral Verrico led Round Rock with 28 assists.
Vandegrift still controls its destiny
Tuesday’s loss didn’t do much to the district standings, or change Vandegrift’s trajectory toward the 25-6A championship. However, it has the potential to be a turning point with seven matches to go in the regular season.
As with every sport in 25-6A, late season chaos comes with the territory.
The Vipers (24-14, 10-1) are still in control of their destiny and hold a one-game lead over Round Rock and a one and a half game lead over Vista Ridge (16-13, 8-2). The Dragons travel to Vista Ridge on Friday. The winner of Friday’s game will move into sole possession of second place.
Of the three teams chasing the district title, the Dragons have the more favorable schedule. Vandegrfit still has to go through three teams chasing the fourth playoff spot – Cedar Ridge, Stony Point and Hutto — while closing the season on the road against a Vista Ridge team that might be within striking distance of sharing the district title if they beat Round Rock Friday.
“Everyone’s a dark horse, right,” Dreier said. “If you watch NCAA volleyball, they have all these rankings and none of it matters. It’s the same with 6A volleyball. I mean, Dripping Springs is going to be Division II in the playoffs and they’ve got 7-8 Division I college players. Except for those guys, anyone can beat anybody can beat anybody on any given day because everyone plays hard and keeps getting better.”