Ladycats secure district title 

Aledo’s Ladycats finished off the regular season with a pair of dominant wins as they secured the District 5-5A championship along with the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. 

The Ladycats (31-8 overall, 11-1 in district) swept Brewer on Friday, Oct. 20, by scores of 25-12, 25-10, and 25-9 in the final district matchup of the season to close out the district schedule winning 11 matches in a row. They followed up that performance by breaking out the brooms once more to sweep Burleson by tallies of 25-14, 25-7, and 25-8 in the season finale on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Ava Reding collected 48 assists in the final two matches of the season. She finished the year leading the Ladycats in assists (910) and aces (47). 

Aledo’s offense led a furious attack in the final two matches of the year. Vivian Parker ended up with 18 kills to her credit. Kinley Elms tacked on another 16 of her own. Haley Lowe scored a dozen, and Alyssa Todd rounded out the top scorers at the net for Aledo with 11.

Vivian Parker admires her handiwork after she fires a shot past the Burleson defense in the final match of the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Speaking of scoring, the Ladycats carved up opposing defenses from the service line the last two matches. Kenrie Pruitt earned five aces in Tuesday’s match with Burleson to lead the stat for Aledo. Parker had four aces of her own. Reding and Ella Meador both had three aces, as well.

Defensively, the Ladycats held opposing teams in check in the final two matches. Neither Brewer or Burleson was allowed much offensive production. When they tried to mount their offense, the Ladycats were there to snuff out any potential rallies. 

Parker led the way for Aledo in digs with 29 in the final week of the season. Meador picked up 27. Pruitt rounded out the leaders in digs with 23.

At the net Ella Isbell earned six blocks in the final two matches of the regular season. Parker had four blocks, and Alyssa Todd rounded out the stat with a pair of blocks.

“Things that we needed to work on have slowly, but surely come into consistency, which is really important at this point in the season,” Aledo head coach, Claire Gay said following the win over Burleson. “I think they’re aware of what’s in front of them. I think they’re eager to get to this point in the season, because this is the really fun part of the season coming into the playoffs.”

“I’m proud of them,” she added. “I’m proud of them for staying with it, for staying intense, for staying together as a team, and really pushing each other inside and outside of practice and in the games. We’re trying to play high-level volleyball using good decision-making skills and working together to allow all cylinders to fire at the same time.”

Aledo will start their playoff journey on Monday, Oct. 30, with bi-district action at Castleberry where they will face off against Fort Worth North Side’s Lady Steers. That match is slated to get underway at 6 p.m.