Lady Leps Beat Lake Belton in Playoff Opener
The La Grange volleyball team is heading to the second round of the playoffs after a come-from-behind victory over Lake Belton Tuesday in a marathon 4A bidistrict round battle in Rockdale.
La Grange lost the first set 25-22, but bounced back to win the next two sets 25-19 and 25-21. Lake Belton grabbed the fourth set 25-20, but after falling behind 3-1 in the decisive fifth set the Lady Leps controlled things the rest of the way and won 15-8.
“When I went into the huddle before the fifth set I didn’t have to say much, they knew this game was ours,” said La Grange head coach Leslie Coltrain.
In that fifth set a couple of aces by Camille Gonzalez got the Lady Leps going and then a couple of late kills by Hailey Hill spoiled any hopes of a Lake Belton rally. When senior Maddi Mach spiked down the final point of the matched it touched off an emotional celebration by the Lady Leps at mid-court.
“I’m dang proud of the way they stood in and fought, didn’t get rattled,” Coltrain said. “Very easily could have panicked in that fifth set. They showed what they were capable of and just got after it.”
The victory vaults the La Grange girls into the area round where they will play Carthage (36-4) Saturday at 2 p.m. at Crockett High School.
Junior Maddi Fritz led the Lady Leps with 17 kills and Mach had 11.
“We are so good when she (Fritz) is on and tonight she was definitely on,” Coltrain said.
“Just keeping the energy up was a big key tonight,” Fritz said.
Fritz also led in digs with 15 and Emma Coltrain had 14. Gonzalez had a team-high three aces and Hill had two.
Fritz had 22 assists and Hill had 18.
Tori Harold had three blocks.
“Winning this one means a lot,” said Hill. “Especially after what happened last year (a first round playoff loss). It was our redemption year. I thought we did really well. We should have finished it off sooner but we fought to the very end.”
The victory means the careers of La Grange’s four seniors, Mach, Coltrain, Layne Wied and Abigail DelaRosa continues.
“Getting to spend more time with these seniors, that’s a big deal,” Fritz said.
Tuesday’s win even further erases the memory of a tough start to the season for the Lady Leps. Amidst a very tough nondistrict schedule, La Grange was 9-23 at one point this season before going 11-2 in district play to win a co-district title.
“That’s the reason I love to schedule that way – it prepares us,” Coltrain said.
Now the Lady Leps have a bidistrict title to add to their district co-crown.