VOLLEYBALL: College Park takes crosstown rival The Woodlands in four sets

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The College Park Lady Cavaliers played host to their crosstown rivals, The Woodlands Highlanders, in what was destined to be a hard fought match, as College Park always plays hard at home supported by one of the loudest volleyball fan bases. They didn’t disappoint the fans, winning in four sets...25-13, 27-25, 21-25, 25-20.

Watch College Park celebrate after winning the match.

The Woodlands entered the matchup with a 22-3 season record, and 2-0 in district, to College Park's 16-7 record, 1-0 in district. College Park was out to prove that the two teams were more equally matched than their record showed.

TWHS needed a balanced attack on offense from Hannah Hickman (Sr) and Anabella Pinton (Sr), and AJ Koele (Soph), all of whom delivered. College Park needed a matching offensive game from seniors Kennedi Smith (Sr), Allicia Bauersfelfd (Sr), and Hannah Erwin (Sr), and a huge defensive game from Savannah Rutledge (Sr), and they got it.

Set 1:

Set 1 left everyone stunned on both sides of the net, and both sides in the stands. College Park took command and never let up, holding the serve for most of the set, with Libero, Savannah Rutledge, doing most of the serving, and also contributing one ace. A major effort on her part, getting the majority of the digs, and Kennedi Smith and Allicia Bauersfeld slamming home five kills apiece. Hanna Erwin added an ace.

The Woodlands wasn’t without some stellar play from Hanna Hickman with four kills, and what was possibly the longest volley of the game, went in TWHS’s favor. For the majority of the set, College Park kept the score double that of The Woodlands, and it ended in a shocking 25-13.

Set 2:

The Lady Highlanders collected themselves, as all great teams do, getting more team effort as Hickman, Pinton, and Koele, with three kills each, an ace from Hailey Reier (Sr), trading points and the lead until reaching 8-8.

College Park then took control of the set and began to pull away, getting a stellar performance from Kennedi Smith with almost half of her total game’s kills in this one set with eight, combined with outstanding blocking from Erwin, Linzy Woods (Jr), and a tall freshman who has joined the varsity, Audrey Penn. Both Penn and Woods contributed two kills apiece, and Bauersfeld came up big with five of her own.

TWHS Coach Terri Wade called a timeout at the 13-8 mark, made some adjustments, and The Woodlands pulled within one point at 15-14. In turn, College Park’s Coach Collins called a timeout to halt the Highlanders’ momentum, and then the dual was back on, exchanging points and the lead multiple times to 25-25. College Park managed to eek out an evenly matched set, 27-25.

Set 3:

In Set 3 the Lady Highlanders hit their stride, with Hickman getting a third of her evening’s kills with five, and support from Koele, Pinton, and Reier, each getting a couple, and Primavera and Grey Kennedy each driving home an ace. TWHS held the lead throughout the set, even though College Park probably had their best set with blocks, the freshman, Penn, with a handful. TWHS took the set comfortably 25-21.

Set 4:

It looked as though it was going to be a long night and go the distance to five sets. Everyone settled back into their seats as TWHS’s Hickman had five kills, supported with superb assisting by Sophie Walls (Soph), and a team effort on digs.

On the other side of the net, CP’s Kennedi Smith had another huge set with five kills and an ace. She was aided by Bauersfeld’s five kills, and Penn’s four. College Park led the set, keeping the score double that of TWHS, and it appeared that it would be a repeat of Set 1, but then The Woodlands came back and tied it up at 16-16. Then it was deja vu of Set 2, when the two teams started trading points and trading the lead up to 18-18. The Lady Cavs must have remembered that it was Homecoming night, and decided to wrap it up early. The set ended 25-20.

Recap:

College Park had 5 aces to TWHS 3, and topped the Lady Highlanders in kills 57 to 38, as well as beating them in other stats...50 assists to 36, and 83 digs to 77.

CP’s Kennedi Smith had almost half of the team’s total kills with and amazing 26. This girl was on fire! She had 18 digs, just two shy of Libero, Savannah Rutledge, with 20. She also contributed 2 aces; Rutledge had 1, and so did Erwin, and CC Clausen (Soph). Erwin’s 48 assists and 14 digs, was also a major factor in the win, as was Bauersfeld’s 12 kills and 8 digs.

The nod for ‘player of the game’ goes to Kennedi Smith, as it was probably one of her personal best. Player to watch...Freshman, Audrey Penn. She was killing them softly with the drop shots, and with each set she got bolder, ending the game with six kills, and as many blocks.

“I’m super proud of the girls. I thought, you know, having so many newcomers, they really all stepped up and really gelled, and I couldn't be anymore proud of them,” said College Park Head Volleyball Coach, Candice Collins.

TWHS outstanding player was Hannah Hickman with 15 kills, aided by 34 assists from Sophie Walls (Soph), and Primavera, Colby Quinn (Sr), Kennedy, and Reier denying points with 25, 15, 12, & 9 digs respectively. A very balanced defense.

Players to watch...Sophomores AJ Koele, the heir apparent to Hannah Hickman, and Sophie Walls, who was responsible for all but two of the assists. The Woodlands volleyball program has a strong future.

“I thought it was a great game. I knew coming into it that we were evenly matched, and I knew that it was going to be a great game. I could have guaranteed that,” said Coach Collins. “I was just really proud of my kids for coming to play the early game, and with it being homecoming and everything this week, and just being able to stay composed and focused on our goals and our accomplishments and really making today about us, and not about everything else that’s going on.”

Watch Coach Collins' full interview here.

The Woodlands, now 22-4, 2-1 in district, will travel to George Ranch in Richmond, Texas, Tuesday, September 22.

College Park now 17-7 record, 2-0 in district, will play the other crosstown rival, Oak Ridge, on Sept. 22. This game will be live on Woodlands Online. Oak Ridge is 23-3 overall, and 2-0 in District, (results of the Atascocita game pending). This will be another must-see matchup. This year’s district winner will be one of the closest in the district’s history.