ROCKDALE – It was another successful tournament over the weekend for Taylor High School varsity volleyball as the Lady Ducks under first-year head coach Rylee Davis continue to roll this 2023 season.
The Lady Ducks went 4-2 overall and finished as the runnerup in the Rockdale Varsity Tournament after match victories against Richards High School, Austin Travis High School, Granger High School and Killeen Shoemaker High School. Taylor lost to a very good Brentwood Christian School team in pool play and in the championship game rematch.
“Overall it was a very successful weekend. With it closing our tournament season, I know their bodies are tired and really feeling it, but that’s when it matters most to keep pushing,” Davis said of her players. “That’s why we’ve been trying to work so hard on simplifying movements and upping our volleyball IQ because in games where we get tired and our bodies are starting to hurt, we’ve still got to manage to score points. I think they did a great job of embodying that this weekend and pushing through.”
Davis was quick to mention that she was very impressed with the way her senior trio of Camryn Nunamaker, Ansley Reed and Hannah Wamble played throughout the weekend.
“The kid is so internally competitive that when she decides she is tired of the way things are going, she steps up big time,” Davis said. “For example, after our first set loss to Shoemaker, who is very athletic and physical, Camryn didn’t let a single ball drop and that lit a fire with her teammates to do the same. I think Ansley Reed also had a phenomenal weekend. She’s coming together really well in the middle and becoming a real force there, mentally and physically. Not to mention her defense improving the way it has... She just hates to lose and it shows in how hard she works. And of course, Hannah Wamble. Hannah is our calming presence on the court. I know the team looks at her a lot to generate points and she’s not taking that role lightly.”
One player who got her first varsity action of the season was freshman Tiana Candee, who was moved up to the squad for the Rockdale tourney.
“We really want her to be ready for next year as she has some big shoes to fill,” Davis said. “I think she’s going to be great for our program as she was already producing on varsity this weekend and the girls absolutely love her. She’s such a fun and sweet kid who works really hard at everything she does.”
Following a huge home match with Burnet High School on Tuesday night, the Lady Ducks will also host Rockdale High School at 6 p.m. on Friday for a non-district rivalry contest.
HUTTO LADY HIPPOS After a week off from action, the Hutto High School varsity volleyball squad under first-year head coach Jessica Martinez made the long journey north to the Forney Invitational Varsity Tournament and picked up wins over Princeton High School (28-26 and 25-15) and Tyler High School (2523 and 25-13) over the weekend.
This team has played a ton of tournament games and will continue to have more on Aug. 31 and Sept. 2 this weekend with home matches Tuesday vs. Georgetown East View High School and Friday vs. San Marcos High School.
