Volleyball: Mansfield eliminates OHS in 4

ABILENE Out to save face and shock the world Tuesday, the Odessa High volleyball team was successful in one venture during its Class 5A bi-district playoff match against Mansfield High.

Unfortunately, the moral victory didn’t keep the season alive for OHS.

Mansfield outlasted OHS 25-23, 24-26, 25-12, 25-22 in McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena. The Tigers used an 8-1 run to close the match when a fifth game seemed imminent.

“It was really hard because we knew we could’ve had it,” said senior middle blocker Kristen Beck, who had a team-high 17 kills. “We were so close.”

Odessa High (27-13) led 21-17 in Game 4 against District 4-5A champion Mansfield (33-6) but couldn’t close the deal to force a decisive Game 5.

Mansfield outside hitter Savannah Smith had three of her match-high 20 kills during the run, which also featured a tough break for OHS. With the Lady Bronchos leading 21-18, an attack by Ashton Skendrovic appeared to go straight into the net, but it was powerful enough to slink over the tape and record a kill.

Mansfield then was within 21-19 instead of trailing 22-18, and the Tigers didn’t look back. They advance to face Amarillo Tascosa (19-18) in the area round.

“Any time when you get in a playoff (match), especially in the 20s, it comes down to mistakes,” Mansfield coach Judith McGill said. “We did a good job on those final five points of not making a lot of key mistakes. We don’t like to put ourselves in those situation, but we have confidence that if we can just make a play here or there, then we could get back into it.”

Either way, the result was much tighter than Mansfield’s three-game rout of Odessa High in the same round a year ago and even a three-game victory in the bi-district round of the 2004 season.

Odessa High’s Dorrian McKnight was a force with 15 kills, and Kylie Cowan had 11 kills and 18 assists. Michelle Dominguez dished out 18 assists.

Mansfield simply had a few too many attackers able to score — Tiana Bond had 13 kills and Courtney Taylor had 10 kills in a 60-kill team effort — and had the ball control to attack at will off serve receive.

OHS wanted to atone for last year’s drubbing at the hands of Mansfield and at the very least left the victors knowing they own a tough match.

“We got crushed last year and we got embarrassed, so this is so much better,” said Cowan, who closed out a four-year varsity career. “I really thought we were going to win. Our attitude was so good, and I’m so proud of everybody. This is the best team I’ve ever played for, and we’ve all worked so hard.”

That is what made the result tough for both OHS players and coach Linda McMillan.

Odessa High won a game in a playoff match for just the second time in five appearances — the last one was in 1994 against Amarillo Palo Duro — but still fell to 0-5 in all-time playoff appearances.

A victory sure seemed possible when OHS had a 21-17 lead in Game 4, but instead it was Mans-field that closed the deal.

“They’ve accomplished a lot, this group of kids, and I praise those seniors for getting this pro-gram here,” McMillan said. “They used to be intimidated, but this group of people came to play volleyball, and compared to last year it’s night and day.

“Besides winning, we gave them everything they wanted. I’m proud of them, but I’m disap-pointed because this group was so much fun to coach and work with because they all were just team-oriented.”

CLASS 5A BI-DISTRICT PLAYOFF

Mansfield def. Odessa High

25-23, 24-26, 25-12, 25-22

Tuesday at McMurry University’s Kimbrell Arena

Kills - Mansfield: Savannah Smith 20, Tiana Bond 13, Courtney Taylor 10, Ashton Skendrovic 9, Haley Williams 3, Kimi Lachowicz 2, Sarah Fairbanks 1, Nichaela Huska 1, Sarah Fletchter 1. Odessa High: Kristen Beck 17, Dorrian McKnight 15, Kylie Cowan 11, Kerri Haenelt 3.

Assists - Mansfield: Kimi Lachowicz 38, Sarah Fletcher 15. Odessa High: Kylie Cowan 18, Michelle Dominguez 18.

Blocks - Mansfield: Courtney Taylor 3, Haley Williams 2, Tiana Bond 1.5, Savannah Smith 1, Ashton Skendrovic .5. Odessa High: Kristen Beck 2, Reagan Paquette 1, Kerri Haenelt .5, Ashley Herrera .5, Dorrian McKnight .5.

Aces - Mansfield: Tiana Bond 2. Odessa High: Kylie Cowan 1, Kristen Beck 1, Elaine Carrasco 1.

Service Points - Mansfield: Tiana Bond 14, Kimi Lachowicz 11, Monica Marple 7, Sarah Fletcher 6, Ashton Skendrovic 6, Savannah Smith 5, Paige Potter 1. Odessa High: Elaine Carrasco 9, Kristen Beck 6, Michelle Dominguez 6, Kylie Cowan 5, Kerri Haenelt 5, Melanie Del Bosque 4.

Records - Mansfield 33-6; Odessa High 27-13.