By JASON GORDON
For all the power Kaylea Beck packs in her right arm, it was two touch kills that made all the difference in Hays’ bi-district playoff victory over Boerne Champion Tuesday night at New Braunfels High School.
The Lady Rebels’ 25-23, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22 win was a thriller and ended a streak of first-round losses dating back the past two seasons.
Hays advances to play Cedar Park in the area round at Rouse High School in Leander Friday night starting at 6:30 p.m.
“This victory was something that needed to be done,” Hays middle blocker Emily Clark said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
After three straight Natalie Valdez kills in game two gave the Lady Rebels a 15-11 lead, the Chargers rallied and Hays found itself trailing 23-22. It looked like Boerne Champion (29-12), District 28-4A’s top seed, was going to pull even.
But Beck and Clark had consecutive kills to give Hays game point. Beck followed by tipping a kill across using her touch. The ball rolled tantalizingly along the top of the net and fell inbounds on Champions’ side of the court, giving the Lady Rebs a second straight 25-23 win.
“When I see a shot I go for it,” said Beck, who led Hays (27-19) with 15 kills. “I saw an opening and I was definitely relieved to see it fall in.”
Hays fell behind early in game three 1-9 and never could recover.
Two Sydney Paradeaux kills and two Hannah Ramsey aces helped give the Lady Rebs a 14-7 advantage in game four.
Emily Clark’s block of Champion’s top hitter, Claire Kreuz, and another Paradeaux kill gave the Lady Rebs a 19-12 lead, but Champion rallied to cut the gap to 22-20 and it looked like the two teams might be headed to a game five.
That’s when Beck pulled off some more magic with a tip kill that again landed barely inbounds to steal back momentum for Hays. Paradeaux, who finished with 11 kills, pounded home the kill that sealed the match moments later.
“Being the fourth seed playing a number one seed you’re going to be the underdog,” Hays head coach Erica Walther said. “But we came in feeling very confident and it showed in the way we played tonight.”
