Playoffs: Cinco Ranch vs. Stratford – Top Performers
The regional quarterfinals are the current stage of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school volleyball playoffs and competition is only getting tougher as just the absolute top teams in the Lone Star State continue to dream about a spot…
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Continue ReadingThe regional quarterfinals are the current stage of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school volleyball playoffs and competition is only getting tougher as just the absolute top teams in the Lone Star State continue to dream about a spot in the State Championship.
As we continue to bring you the best high school volleyball coverage, we’ll be following some of the most critical encounters of the postseason and will keep detailing how they played out and who were the top players on the court.
On Monday, November 7, we watched the Conference 6A duel between Katy’s Cinco Ranch Cougars and Houston’s Stratford Spartans at the Delmar Fieldhouse in Houston. It was a close match, but Cinco Ranch pushed hard at the end of every set to secure a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-23) win and make it to the regional semifinals, where they will face Pearland’s Dawson Eagles on Thursday.
Top Performers
Cinco Ranch’s outside hitter started the match on fire, getting back-to-back aces. O’Brien was set quite often, at the net or in the back, and scored at an excellent rate, but also showed intelligence to use tips and even to push the ball against the block and get it back for a second chance. She was also very active on defense, getting a hand on everything that went her way in the middle back and smartly sliding behind the block to cover for tips when at the net.
Emily Killam
Emily Killam
Killam seemed set for a difficult night against Stratford’s taller middles but she was incredibly productive and made a huge impact at the net with her high-energy game and excellent footwork. She was highly effective on offense, especially when hitting the slide set, and got a few stuffs and several block touches that generated digs for the Cougars. Killam was set in key moments and delivered for Cinco Ranch.
Gabi Martinez
Gabi Martinez
The Cougars’ dynamic right side hitter has found her best game in the playoffs and had another great performance. Martinez was a force offensively, using her impressive vertical and sharp angle shot to score, but also contributed with digs and blocks. She also had good serving runs in important moments.
Nina Terry
Nina Terry
The Spartans’ setter was consistent as usual and bringing such a high level of reliability in such a tense match was a big asset for her team. Terry did an excellent job in feeling her hitters out and setting those who were in better moments of the match. She was also tremendously important from the service line as she tallied some aces and had long serving runs that helped the team score consecutive points.
Chloe Popkin
Chloe Popkin
The junior outside hitter was possibly Stratford’s most consistent player throughout the match. Popkin did a very good job with her passing and her defense and took a larger offensive role than she’s used to, scoring with power and finesse. She did really well when tooling the block and was on fire on set three, carrying the team’s offense.