Four Central Texas high school volleyball teams have made the state’s UIL final four. Westlake, Lake Travis, Georgetown and Wimberley all captured regional volleyball championships Tuesday night to advance to this weekend’s state semifinals.
Each of these Austin-area programs will take the court Saturday for a chance to play for a title in Garland next week. Here’s how they got here:
Westlake sweeps into semis
Westlake setters Kyrksen Cook and Ellie Ogden combined for 35 assists as the Chaps put on a volleyball clinic of balance, ball control and teamwork to sweep San Antonio Brandeis 25-12, 25-22, 28-26 in their Region IV-6A Division II final at New Braunfels Canyon. Cook had 18 assists, Ogden had 17 and two aces and Clayton Kelly had 12 kills, 18 digs and two aces.
Freshman Caroline Ehrlich and sophomore Geralynn Byers-Veal had eight kills each, and Byers-Veal served an ace on match point. Kaitlyn Tse had two aces herself as did Sunny McWilliams, who led the Chaps with 21 digs. Annabel McDuffee had three blocks.
Westlake coach Miguel Saenz has kept his team focused on the playoffs as the Chaps survived a brutal schedule and multiple injuries but still finished as tri-champions in District 25-6A with Round Rock and Lake Travis, which met Tuesday in the Region IV-6A DI final at Burger Center. The Cavaliers prevailed in five sets.
“We have prepared for the playoffs since the first day of practice, to play better from day one and play hard to the finish,” Saenz said. Westlake will play Katy Tompkins in Saturday’s state semifinals.
Georgetown lights up Tigers
Georgetown dominated College Station 25-21, 25-20, 25-18 to win the Region III-5A DI championship at Giddings. Florida-bound Amelia Albright notched eight kills, had 13 digs, chalked up 28 assists and had four solo blocks to lead the Eagles into the state semifinals. Georgetown hit over .300 as a team and had nine aces…