Texas HS Playoffs: Bridgeland vs. Oak Ridge – Top Performers
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It’s playoffs time in the high school season in the state of Texas and the next three weeks will be the most intense and exciting of the year, with elimination places narrowing the list of contenders until division winners emerge…
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Continue ReadingIt’s playoffs time in the high school season in the state of Texas and the next three weeks will be the most intense and exciting of the year, with elimination places narrowing the list of contenders until division winners emerge in Garland on November 18.
More than ever, Prep Dig will be out there following matches around the Lone Star State as we continue to provide coverage of the most successful programs in Texas.
Area round is currently going on and on Thursday, November 2, I was at the Delmar Fieldhouse, in Houston, to follow the Division 6A duel between Cypress’ Bridgeland Bears and Conroe’s Oak Ridge War Eagles.
The second-best team in District 17, Bridgeland advanced to the next round with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-20) win and will now face the winners of the match between the Grand Oaks Grizzlies and the Langham Creek Lobos, who play on Friday, in the regional quarterfinals.
Top Performers
The senior libero played a big role in Bridgeland’s victory by leading the team’s backcourt efforts. Volpe was reading the game extremely well, as usual, and nothing was falling in her zone, from hard-driven hits to tips and shots deflected off the block. She led the Bears in digs with 20 and also ended the match with seven passes and no serve-receive errors. Volpe set well in transition and had an excellent serving run in set one that allowed Bridgeland to create a huge lead and take control of the set.
Grace Wegenke
Grace Wegenke
Wegenke was an important weapon for Bridgeland off the bench. She came in double subs with Justice Rachal Justice Rachal 5’7″ | OH Bridgeland | 2027 TX and the two not only kept the same level as the starters, but at times elevated it. Bridgeland had a big run in set one that was only possible because of her intelligent ball distribution and smart choices when running the team’s offense. A tall setter, Wegenke also appeared well on defense and ended the match with 21 assists and 12 digs despite only playing three rotations.
Pfefferkon was very strong at the net for Bridgeland, keeping her production steady during the match and helping her team in big moments. The junior used her length extremely well on offense, taking advantage of Oak Ridge’s blockers to register nine kills in 15 swings, hitting at .400. Pfefferkorn was also a factor defensively as she led the Bears with three blocks and created all sorts of problems to opposing hitters with her block.
Highlights
The sophomore outside hitter was easily Oak Ridge’s best player on the court as she produced extremely well defensively and offensively. Santiago split the court with libero Lily Campos in serve-receive in some rotations and did a good job with her passing, avoiding errors and playing efficiently. She was also very active on defense, getting several touches at the middle back position. The outside hitter was also the centerpiece of the team’s offense, at times even overloaded, but made good use of her length to find good angles and score.
Lily Campos
Lily Campos
Campos had a busy night on the backcourt with Oak Ridge and got a lot of touches on defense and serve-receive. She’d often cover a large area of the court when passing and, more often than not, delivered good passes. The libero was also very productive on defense, controlling hard-driven swings and moving quickly to get to tips. She also did a good job setting in transition when she had to.
Micah Rusher
Micah Rusher
The freshman had a solid night with the War Eagles, playing a big role in the team’s best moment in the match, on set two, when she got consecutive blocking points that destabilized Bridgeland for a few minutes. Rusher was moving very well at the net and created problems for opposing hitters with her long arms above the net. Her offensive game is not as well-developed yet, but she still managed to score at a good rate with strong swings and tips.