It’s State Bronze for the Lady Horns
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With state bronze medals around their necks, the members of the Schulenburg volleyball team pose with their state semi. nal trophy after falling in Saturday's match to Jewett Leon. Photo by Audrey Kristynik -
With a sea of Schulenburg fans in the background, Lady Horn Jenna Guentert makes a diving dig in Saturday's state semi. nal match in Brenham. Photo by Audrey Kristynik -
Schulenburg’s Landry Zapalac, left, and Clara Magliolo, right, jump to try to block a Jewett Leon hit in Saturday’s state semifinal. Photo by Audrey Kristynik
“We wanted the storybook ending, and we didn’t quite get it,” said Schulenburg volleyball coach Donald Zapalac.
The Schulenburg volleyball team’s epic playoff run this season ended in Brenham Saturday in the state semifinals with a 25-17, 25-20, 2517 loss to Jewett Leon.
In front of a near capacity crowd, this was a battle of teams of the highest pedigree.
The Lady Horns were in their third state semifinal appearance in the last three years.
Leon has 10 state volleyball titles and will try to make it 11 when they face Nocona for the championship Thursday in Garland. The size and power of Leon (30-7) was too much for the Lady Horns (35-15), but Schulenburg also didn’t help itself.
“We made too many errors in the first set and that set the tone for us,” Coach Zapalac said. “I think we had 12 errors between hitting and serving (in that first set) and it made it a lot easier for them. They got comfortable and we got uncomfortable.
“They were more comfortable all day long and they put all the pressure on us.”
Schulenburg was playing from behind all day.
They fell behind 10-2 in the first set but pulled to withing 22-16 before losing. The second set was close throughout, but after things were tied 17-17, Leon capitalized late.
In the third set Leon jumped out to an 18-8 lead only to see Schulenburg rally to pull within 20-16. But the Lady Horns couldn’t complete the comeback.
Haylee Vacek led the Lady Horns in kills with eight. Greenli Van Zandt had six kills, and Landry Zapalac and Reagan Dusek had four each.
Zapalac had 19 assists and two aces. Jenna Guentert had 23 digs.
Miranda Bonner had four aces and nine digs.
Michaela Kollmann had two aces and seven digs.
The loss ended the career of four seniors on the Lady Horns – Landry Zapalac (the daughter of head coach Donald Zapalac), Reagan Dusek, Clara Magliolo and Grace Schramek.
The loss was particularly emotional for the Zapalac family. Landry’s mother Melissa is also an assistant coach on the team.
“It’s been a dream ever since I was a little girl. I grew up around it all my life,” said Landry of playing for the Lady Horns. “It’s not an easy end for sure.
“I’m just so happy I got to experience this ... makes saying goodbye hard. I’m forever proud of all the teams I was on and all the girls I played with.
“I’m just really happy to be a part of this program.”
Landry had been a ball girl on the last Schulenburg state title team back in 2014, and as a varsity player was only one match away from the state title game three different seasons.
All the members of the team were given their state bronze medals at the conclusion of Saturday’s match – a tangible reminder of a season where the Lady Horns fought through so much adversity and came from behind to win district and regional titles.
“The size difference was always our biggest foe this year, but we had big hearts,” Zapalac said.