CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
SMITHVILLE — After a slow start in the opening set, the Thrall Tigerettes (30-7) roared back to defeat the Shiner Lady Comanches 23-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-14, to capture their 11th straight area championship Thursday night in Smithville.
“We got off to a rough start, but I thought we handled it well,” said Thrall Coach Bethany Grissom. “I was proud of how the girls fought back to make that first set close.”
It was a combination of miscues and timely Shiner hits that allowed the Lady Comanches to take a commanding 17-9 lead in the opening set. The Tigerettes were able to make small runs that pulled the score closer in those early moments of the match, but each time Shiner would regain the momentum. Midway through the set, Thrall was finally able to seize the momentum.
A 5-0 run, led by a pair of Brynn Leschber kills and Karly Pesantes’ ace, trimmed the Shiner lead to 18-13. And another short run pulled the Tigerettes within one, at 19-18. Shiner was able to maintain the lead, but a Nevaeh Irvin kill, followed by a block, also by Irvin, gave the Tigerettes their only lead of the set at 22-21. The teams traded points over the closing moments, but the Lady Comanches were able to survive the set.
Shiner jumped out to a 6-3 lead to open the second set and was able to hold the lead until the midway point of the set.
A short four-point run pulled the Tigerettes within two, and a pair of Leschber kills and a Kinley Hoffman ace knotted the score at 14.
The Lady Comanches regained the lead briefly, but it was clear that the momentum had switched sides of the court.
Melaina Grissom knocked down a trio of kills, and Irvin added another kill that gave Thrall a 22-20 advantage with the Tigerettes never relinquishing the lead in taking the second set.
The Lady Comanches led briefly to open the third set, but Thrall had taken control of the net by that point.
Melaina Grissom, Lescher and Emily Holybee continually dropped in kills against a seemingly hapless Shiner defense and gave Thrall a 12-7 lead. The teams went back and forth, with the Tigerettes never leading by more than six, until the late going. An Amber Kevil kill started a 6-0 run that was capped by another Irvin kill that gave Thrall a two-sets-to-one lead.
“We had some service errors in the first two sets, but I think, once we settled down, we served better,” Coach Grissom said. “I also think we did a better job of setting up our hitters after the second set.” Thrall was dominant in the final set, and the Lady Comanches were clearly rattled.
The Tigerettes built a 7-2 lead, in part due to multiple Shiner mistakes and a pair of Melaina Grissom kills. Shiner was able to stay close until another six-point run by the Tigerettes, led by Leschber and Kevil that put Thrall up 18-8. The Tigerettes coasted from there and Kevil put the final nail in the coffin with a cross-court kill to the back corner.
Thrall awaits the winner of Weimar and Burton in the regional quarterfinals. That game will be played on either Monday or Tuesday.
