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The Weimar Ladycats’ varsity volleyball team had a strong run through the Rice-hosted tournament last week as they lost just two matches throughout the competition. One of which was in the gold bracket championship match against the team that currently sits at the no. 2 spot in the TGCA rankings. Weimar’s defeat to Iola in that match clinched second place overall at the tournament for the Ladycats.
Vs Round Top-Carmine, L, 3-1
Before the Ladycats took on the Rice Tournament in Altair, they hosted Round Top-Carmine for a competitive match that had close scorelines in each set. Weimar started with their longest game of the season to start, falling in a 30-28 defeat to open the match. They responded with a 25-22 victory in game two before falling in games three and four by scores of 25-22 and 25-17 respectively.
The Ladycats withstood some heavy pressure by the opposing offense. Izzy Reeves was a major factor in holding off their opponents, leading the team with 32 digs. Chandley Tolbert had 16 digs, while Madison Luckey and Lauren Hinze had 14 digs each. Hinze also led the team with 24 setter assists. Tolbert and Taylor Smith finished with 13 and 12 kills respectively to lead the team in attacking.
Vs Tidehaven, W, 2-1
Weimar had a bit of a slow start to their tournament run at Rice. They allowed Tidehaven to get out to an early lead in game one before falling short of a comeback in a 25-20 defeat. They established their dominance in the second set with a big 25-7 win that showed their effectiveness on both sides of the ball. They closed the match out with a competitive third set, holding on for the 15-12 victory over the Lady Tigers.
Vs Sacred Heart, W, 2-1 The Ladycats once again fell a little short in the opening set of their next match in the tournament. After losing game one by a 25-22 margin, Weimar regained their focus and held on for a 25-16 win in the second set. They followed their performance with another strong game in the final set, claiming the match with a 15-8 victory in game three.
Vs Burton, W, 2-0
Burton became the victim of Weimar’s first sweep of the tournament. While the Lady Panthers made things interesting in both games by scoring 15 or more points in each, the Ladycats kept a firm advantage over their opponents. Weimar opened with a 25-19 victory before following with an even stronger 25-15 win to finish the sweep.
Vs Fayetteville, W, 2-0 Weimar got their second sweep of the tournament during Friday’s first match. They once again did not allow their opponents to score 20 points or more in either set as they picked up some competitive victories to claim the match. The Ladycats won game one by a 25-19 margin before winning again in the second set by a score of 25-18.
Vs Flatonia, W, 2-0
The third sweep in a row for Weimar came after two close matches against their district rivals in Flatonia. It was the first time in five regular sets that the Ladycats allowed a team to score 20 points or more. However, Weimar held on for strong victories in both games of the sweep as they won both by the same scoreline: 25-21.
Vs Burton, L, 2-1
Weimar’s first loss of the tournament came after a strong opening set with an effort that they could not sustain. After defeating Burton in a 2515 victory in game one, the Ladycats fell in game two by a 25-19 margin. Weimar made things close in game three, but they could not pull out a victory as they eventually fell by a 25-12 score to close pool play.
Vs Boling, W, 2-0
The Ladycats returned to their winning ways with a dominant victory over Boling during bracket play on Saturday. Neither set was close as Weimar cruised to a few easy wins to set up a match against no. 2 ranked Iola in the championship match. After dominating in a 25-9 win in game one, the Ladycats held on for a closer win in game two for a 2516 victory.
Vs Iola, L, 2-0
Weimar suffered their first sweep defeat of the tournament against one of the state’s top 2A teams in the championship match. Iola spent the match establishing why they are considered one of the top teams in the state after coming out with a dominant performance against Weimar. The Ladycats struggled to keep up in two difficult sets, losing game one in a 25-6 defeat and then falling in game two by a 25-11 margin. The loss secured second place overall for the Ladycats.
