Plano East sophomore Kyla Slaughter (6) and junior Jaiden Boutte’ (10) celebrate a point won by the Lady Panthers against McKinney Boyd in a Class 6A Division I area-round playoff match at Lovejoy High School on Monday, Nov. 2. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
LUCAS — Plano East struggled to find its offensive rhythm through the first two sets of Monday’s Class 6A Division I area-round volleyball match against McKinney Boyd.
But with their season on the line, the Lady Panthers found a spark in freshman outside hitter Ava Nzegwu.
Nzegwu recorded six of her team-high 10 kills in the third set, helping Plano East erase a pair of deficits and briefly pull even with the Lady Broncos.
The rally wasn’t enough, however, as McKinney Boyd held off a late charge to complete a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 sweep at Lovejoy High School.
The loss ended Plano East’s season after 30 victories and a fourth consecutive year with at least one playoff win.
“McKinney Boyd is a phenomenal team,” Plano East head coach Sarah Perez said. “They set a block. They swing aggressive every time. I think that we have a lot of young kids, had a lot of nerves coming into this game. We didn’t play the way that we wanted to play. We didn’t follow our game plan. This is what we will use to fuel us for next season.”
McKinney Boyd’s combination of strong defense, powerful hitting and effective blocking made life difficult for Plano East throughout the match.
Junior Trinity Johnson led the Lady Broncos with 13 kills, while senior Olivia Permenter added 10.
Senior middle hitter Catelijne Van Ham, who stands 6-foot-2, contributed nine blocks as McKinney Boyd earned its 30th victory of the season.
The Lady Broncos controlled the opening set, winning 25-13, and maintained their advantage in the second.
Between sets, Perez pulled sophomore setters Anna Lukas and Luz Luna aside to discuss adjustments to the offense and ways to attack McKinney Boyd’s block.
The conversation helped Plano East generate more scoring opportunities.
Kills by Nzegwu, senior Leyna Anderson and sophomore Kyla Slaughter kept the Lady Panthers within striking distance during the second set, but McKinney Boyd pulled away for a 25-16 victory.
Facing elimination, Plano East showed more offensive consistency in the third.
The Lady Panthers trailed 11-7 and 14-11 before Nzegwu helped fuel a comeback.
She recorded three kills during a five-point stretch, with the third tying the score at 15-15 and forcing McKinney Boyd to call its first timeout of the match.
It was the first time Plano East had pulled even after falling behind in the opening set.
Senior libero Dakota Huynh also provided one of the match’s most memorable defensive plays.
Reaching out with one arm in the back row, Huynh managed to send the ball back over the net. The Lady Panthers eventually won the point when McKinney Boyd hit the ball into the net.
“She truly is phenomenal,” Perez said. “She has a high IQ, is a great teammate. She can dig. She can serve. She truly is amazing.”
Despite Plano East’s improved play, McKinney Boyd regained control and built a 22-16 lead late in the third set.
The Lady Panthers refused to go quietly.
Plano East rallied to within 23-22 following a tip kill by Lukas, putting pressure on the Lady Broncos in the closing moments.
McKinney Boyd answered, however, and sophomore Gabby Fiori delivered a service ace on match point to secure the sweep.
Although the loss brought Plano East’s season to an end, Perez found plenty of reasons for optimism.
“I’m proud of this season,” Perez said. “We’re young. We’ve got brand-new pieces. We have a lot of people to build an offense around. It’s obviously good for those young kids to get that experience. Obviously, we wish that we were still playing. Now, these young kids have two rounds under their belts. Next year, it won’t be as quite the shock when we get here.”
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