Plano East senior Leyna Anderson (15) attempts to hit the ball around the block of Plano senior Bailey Ramirez (3) on Tuesday. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
(Click on the link for a photo gallery from the match: https://csmediatexas.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=6889195)
One trait that Plano East’s volleyball team has gotten better at over the course of the season is finishing matches.
The Lady Panthers showed that same type of resolve during Tuesday’s 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-15 home win over Plano.
After losing the third set to Plano by two points, Plano East responded by putting together its most dominant stretch of play on the night. A strong finish helped the Lady Panthers win the fourth set by 10 points and clinch a crucial win over the Lady Wildcats.
“We stopped playing in the third set,” head coach Sarah Perez said. “We played not to lose instead of playing to win, and we can’t do that in this district. Plano is so good this year. They’re an incredible team. They never gave up. I just told our kids, ‘We’ve got to play to win.’ They really did that in the fourth set.”
Tuesday’s result marked the 12th consecutive triumph for the Lady Panthers (22-8 overall, 4-1 District 7-6A) against the Lady Wildcats (25-7, 4-1). Plano East hasn’t lost to Plano since 2021. More importantly, Plano East moved into a three-way tie with Plano and Plano West (20-4, 4-1) for first place in the district.
But nothing came easy for Plano East on Tuesday evening. In a match that featured 26 ties, the Lady Panthers struggled at times to hit against the Lady Wildcats’ block. However, Plano East continued to fire away, and the biggest difference was the Lady Panthers’ ability to finish sets better.
Late in the first set, Plano East appeared to have started to create separation. A service ace by senior Dakota Huynh gave the Lady Panthers an 18-13 lead. But the Lady Wildcats showed plenty of resolve, rallying to tie the score at 21-21 on a Bella Howard block and forcing the Lady Panthers to call a timeout.
Plano East responded well out of the timeout. A kill by sophomore Luz Luna, followed by back-to-back finishes by sophomore Anna Lukas, forced set point. Two points later, a net violation by Plano clinched the set win for Plano East.
The Lady Panthers held the lead for most of the second set, although the Lady Wildcats rallied to take a 13-11 lead on a Bella Osborn service ace. A kill by senior Leyna Anderson on the ensuing point restored momentum for Plano East, and the Lady Panthers rode that momentum to a 2-0 lead in the match.
Looking to complete the sweep of their crosstown rival, Plano East instead couldn’t overcome several self-inflicted mistakes. The Lady Panthers nearly climbed out of a 21-17 deficit, getting to within 23-22 after a Lady Wildcats hitting error. However, Plano responded with consecutive kills to extend the match to a fourth set.
Lukas delivered a pair of booming kills over the first six points to get the Lady Panthers off to a good start. Plano rallied to tie the score at 9-9 after a block, but the remainder of the set was all Plano East.
Lukas continued her strong play, posting two kills over the next three points to keep the momentum going for the Lady Panthers.
Defensively, Plano East’s defense made it tough for Plano to score points, recording several diving digs to complement the team’s all-around efforts.
That selfless play was just the formula Plano East needed to finish the match on a 16-6 run.
And because of it, Plano East is now tied for first place in a wide-open district.
“It’s way open,” Perez said. “It’s a tough district. We have no games off and have to come out here and compete. It’s still anyone’s district to win. We’re just fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the top four. I’m really proud of them for where we are now.”
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