Schulenburg Flashes Its Elite Potential In a Four-Set Victory Over LG Friday
Looking like the state title contender they are, the Schulenburg volleyball team came to La Grange and beat the Lady Leps 22-25, 25-9, 25-16, 25-14 Friday.
Jessalyn Gipson led the Lady Horns in kills with 13, Emmrie Marx added 12 and Meredith Magliolo had 10 as the Schulenburg girls improved to 15-12 overall.
That’s hardly a sterling record, but that’s not what longtime Schulenburg head coach Donald Zapalac is after at this time of the season.
“We’d like to have a better record, but we know the tough teams we are playing will benefit us in the future,” Zapalac said.
Last season the Lady Horns made it to the state tournament, but lost in the semis to eventual state champ Windthorst. Schulenburg graduated just three seniors off that team, and the Lady Horns are hoping to turn last year’s taste of state into a title this year.
“They definitely are (a title contender), said La Grange volleyball coach Leslie Coltrain. “I’ve seen quite a few 2A teams this year, and they have a really good group there.”
In addition to that balanced attack, Schulenburg got 39 assists from Landry Zapalac and 23 digs from Kieryn Adams Friday.
“I think we have the pieces but we have to put more pieces together,” Zapalac said. “We are growing. I want a team that will get along and grow and improve as we go.”
That improvement came in-match Friday.
“Tonight was good for us because we had an ugly first set but cleaned up the next three,” said Magliolo, the defending state high jump champ, who had seven blocks Friday. “That shows what we can do. We have a long way to go, but hopefully this is the start of a good upward swing for us.”
Meanwhile, La Grange is still trying to find some consistency, and fell to 11-17 with Friday’s loss.
La Grange was led in kills by Kylie Trlicek who had nine and Kenna Lamza, who had six. Haylie Cooper led La Grange in digs with 10. Jena Jobb had a team-high three aces. Phoebe Tucker led in assists with 17 and Trlicek had 10. Cara Homer had four blocks and Landri Hernandez had two.
“We got our hands on tons of balls tonight at the net blocking-wise, but we are not doing the little things that we workoneverydayinpractice,” Coltrain said. “Some of that is a youth and inexperience thing and some of it is we just need to make up our mind to be consistent.”
The Lady Leps host Sealy Tuesday and Thorndale Friday before beginning district play at home Sept. 12 against Smithville.
“It’s been a long preseason, but we still have some things to work on,” Coltrain said.
In subvarsity action Friday the La Grange JV defeated Schulenburg 25-17, 11-25, 1511 to improve to 6-4. The La Grange freshmen defeated Schulenburg 25-22, 25-22 to improve to 3-7.