The Aledo Ladycats defeated the Arlington Lady Colts on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at home in three sets, 25-17, 25-7, 25-15.
The Ladycats still haven’t lost a set in district play, going 33-0 in combined set play. Aledo improved its record to 31-7 overall and 10-0 in district play.
In the first set, aces by libero Karsyn Evans and setter Charlotte Gartner were key in helping the Ladycats go up 14-5 into the first timeout. Following the timeout and points from both teams, consecutive kills by outside hitters Brynlee Schneider and Kaelee Berkley increased Aledo’s lead to 10 points at 17-7, its largest lead of the set. The Lady Colts trimmed the lead to as low as four points, but Aledo pulled away to win by eight.
The second set was more lopsided. Aledo took a 12-4 lead into the first timeout and a 17-5 lead into the second. The Ladycats led by as many as 15 points and ended the set with an 18-point win.
In the third set, Aledo jumped to a 4-0 lead following an ace from Alondra Delgado. However, the Lady Colts took their first lead of the night at 7-5.
From there, Berkley and setter Charlotte Gartner came through with two kills and an ace, respectively, to give Aledo an 8-7 lead it didn’t relinquish. Late in the set, three consecutive aces from Clara Deveny helped Aledo pull away.
Aledo head coach Claire Gay praised Berkley and Deveny’s efforts in helping the team win all season.
“Clara’s been a fantastic server for us and has been very consistent all year long under a lot of pressure,” Gay said. “She always goes in and finds a way to turn points for herself, and we’re so grateful for that. She’s got great speed and great power, and she’s a great location server, so that always helps. Kaelee’s got such a fun arm to watch in the front row, and she’s done a tremendous job for herself this year. I’m really proud of her for the offense that she provides.”
Aledo celebrated its senior night after the game, with seniors Berkley, Evans, Layla Davis, and Isabella Bechert being recognized.
Gay credited the seniors for their impact on the program.
“This senior class has been fantastic. The four have done a really great job of balancing each other and balancing their leadership. I think they all bring something to the table, and for that, we’re very grateful,” Gay said. “You’ve got Bella who’s very positive and is always uplifting her teammates. You’ve got Karsyn who’s kind of a quiet leader, but she’s extremely knowledgeable about the game. You’ve got Kaelee who has been a varsity kid for four years, so she knows the expectations of what this should look like, and she’s a consistent, positive player on the court who brings a lot of energy. As far as Layla goes, she’s super fun. She’s got a lot of energy about her, and she’s the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines. When she goes in, she works really hard.”
Aledo’s next match will be against second-place Weatherford on Friday, Oct. 16. In their first match, the Ladycats won in a sweep, 25-11, 25-17, 25-17. Weatherford has a 25-13 overall record and is 9-2 in district play.
The Aledo Ladycats defeated the Arlington Bowie Volunteers in a sweep on Oct. 9, winning with scores of 25-16, 25-8, 25-15.
With the win, the Ladycats improved to 30-7 overall and remained unbeaten in district play at 10-0.
Outside hitter Kaelee Berkley finished with a team-high 12 kills, while libero Karsyn Evans led Aledo with 17 digs. Setter Harper Harbuck led Aledo in assists with 12. As a team, the Ladycats combined for 53 digs and 10 blocks, middle-blocker Leighton Lindley leading with four blocks.
Aledo has not lost a set in district play. Aledo’s last set loss came Sept. 4 in a 3-2 loss to Highland Park.
Aledo’s next match was against Arlington High School on Oct. 13. In the first round Aledo defeated Arlington 3-0.
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