Lady Ducks VB loses thriller to Jarrell
In a packed gym at Taylor High School on Tuesday night, the match between the Lady Ducks squared off in a nondistrict match with Jarrell High School in a battle between two ranked teams. Taylor entered the week No. 15 in the Texas Girls Coaches Association poll in 4A with the Lady Cougars ranked No. 21 behind them.
“The amount of support in our gym was everything that a program could hope for,” Taylor head coach Rylee Davis said. “We had everyone from students, middle schoolers, and parents, to people from the community, all come out to support because we all knew it would be a good game with both teams having found so much success this year. I can’t say thank you enough to this community for showing up the way they did, and I hope they continue to show up regardless of the outcome.”
In a match that certainly lived up to all the hype, especially with former Lady Ducks volleyball and current Jarrell coach Kelsey Carr returning to Taylor for the first time, the Lady Ducks were edged in five sets in a match of two very good teams that could’ve gone either way: 25-20, 18-25, 25-13, 23-25 and 12-15.
This was a complete team effort to stay in this match with Taylor senior Hannah Wamble, senior Camryn Nunamaker, senior Ansley Reed, senior Ri’Queleigh Holmes-Grant, junior Haley Harms, sophomore Makenna Watson, sophomore Peyton Wamble, sophomore Elena Martinez and freshman Tiana Candee playing their hearts out. Although the Lady Ducks were without junior Katelyn Aderhold on Tuesday due to injury, she was on the bench fully supporting her teammates vs. Jarrell.
“I think when we play teams of that caliber, it is a win-or-learn situation,” Davis said. “They exposed some weak spots that we haven’t really had to deal with much this season, which in turn, makes us better. The immediate next practice after Jarrell, we started working on those weak spots and have watched our own film from that game so we can work to continuously get better, no matter what success we have found this season.”
Taylor had a few opportunities to put this match away late in the fourth set but Jarrell refused to quit and fought back to force a decisive fifth set.
Although the Lady Ducks were edged, Taylor got a great effort from Hannah Wamble with a team-high 11 kills and 15 digs, Reed with nine kills, Harms with eight kills, Nunamaker with 21 assists and 20 digs, Watson with 32 serves received and 24 digs and Peyton Wamble with 15 digs and six assists.
Taylor (21-11 overall and 3-0 in District 22-4A play) returns to district play Friday night on the road against defending district champion Giddings High School. The Lady Buffaloes (11-20) aren’t off to nearly as good of a start this season as last year but they have also started off district play undefeated at 3-0.
Taylor High School varsity volleyball freshman Tiana Candee goes up to spike the ball on Sept. 19 during the Lady Ducks’ home match vs. Jarrell High School. Photos by Larry Pelchat
