Tigerettes top Milano in final non-district match
THRALL — The Thrall Tigerettes (26-7) finished the non-district portion of their schedule Tuesday night with a 25-11, 25-19, 25-21 sweep of the Milano Lady Eagles (15-10).
The Tigerettes wasted little time taking control of the first set. After spotting Milano a 1-0 lead, the Tigerettes ran off eight straight points. Brynn Leschber dominated the net and knocked down a pair of kills in the opening run, while Emily Holybee scored on a dump-kill.
Milano’s offense finally got on track and rolled off three straight points, but Melaina Grissom took over for the Tigerettes from there. She knocked down a pair of kills to put the Tigerettes up 10-4 and added three more kills that helped push the Thrall lead to 14-5.
Thrall continued to pull away.
Holybee sent the Tigerettes on a 9-0 run late, aided by a pair of kills by Ellie Schmidt, and two more kills by Melaina Grissom, that gave the Tigerettes a 23-7 lead and a Milano service error closed out the first set.
The Lady Eagles settled down beginning with the second set. Milano built a 7-3 lead, but, as has been the case multiple times this season, the Tigerettes did not panic, and began to come back.
A Nevaeh Irvin block and kill, along with a pair of Melaina Grissom kills, pulled the score even at nine apiece.
Milano surged ahead again, taking an 11-9 lead, but when the momentum swung back to the Tigerette side of the court, Thrall never trailed again.
A series of Milano errors, along with kills by Leschber and Schmidt, helped Thrall build a 19-13 advantage and eventually secured the win.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle throughout. Milano led by as much as four in the early part of the set. But the Lady Eagles’ 10-6 advantage was erased after kills by Schmidt, Leschber and Amber Kevil, which tied the score at 13.
Milano regained their four-point edge, leading 17-13, but once again, the Tigerettes rallied. Thrall finally tied the score at 21 off a Milano error, and Schmidt’s tip kill gave the Tigerettes the lead for good. Kinley Hoffman’s ace finished the sweep for Thrall.
The Tigerettes were back in action Saturday, Oct. 21 hosting the Holland Lady Hornets in Thrall’s final home game of the season. Thrall will conclude the regular season portion of their schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 24 when they travel down Texas State Highway 79 to take on second-place Thorndale.
Thrall High School varsity volleyball senior Melaina Grissom goes up for a powerful kill at the net Oct. 17 during the Tigerettes’ home match against Milano High School. Photo by Larry Pelchat
