Dripping Springs, Wimberley volleyball seasons end

SAN ANTONIO—Two neighboring legendary high school volleyball teams’ seasons ended within hours of each other and a few miles apart in San Antonio on Saturday, Nov. 11.

PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK
Wimberley junior Laney Hennessee takes swing to drive the ball past Davenport’s Aliyhah Montanio for a kill in the 4A Region IV Final last Saturday in San Antonio. Wimberley’s (36-8) season ended with a 3-0 loss 26-24, 25-18, 26-24.[/caption]

Class 6A Dripping Springs’ (48-7), the defending state champion, season ended in the Region IV Finals with a bitter loss in three sets to Northside Harlan (44-5) at Alamo Convocation Center.

Class 4A Wimberley’s (36-8), who has won six state championships, season went down in the Region IV Finals in a similar fashion with their season ending in three sets at Littleton Gym to district rival Comal Davenport (45-5).

Both teams’ third set ended with the same score 26-24. Dripping Springs and Wimberley had advanced to the finals with 3-1 wins. Dripping Springs defeated O’Connor and Wimberley won over Floresville.

Down 2-0 (25-20, 25-19) in the final, Dripping Springs held a 15-8 lead in the third set, but the hard-hitting Hawks wouldn’t give in and the set was tied several times. With a 22-21 lead, it looked as if Dripping Springs could win the third set to stay in the game, but a shot by Dripping Springs’ Riley Certain was blocked at the net by Harlan to tie it 22 all. The teams traded scoring points and would tie again 24-24. With a chance to take the lead, Harlan handled a shot by Henley Anderson, and the Hawk’s Aniya Joseph’s swing was blocked by the Lady Tigers, but the ball would land out of bounds to give the Hawks a one-point lead. A service ace ended Dripping Springs (48-7) season.

“This doesn’t take away from the season we had or where we are today,” Dripping Springs head coach Michael Kane said after the game. “Everybody talked about how [Harlan was] going to be tired, but I didn’t see that and hats off to them. They have an amazing team.”

Wimberley would face Davenport in the final without starting senior Kenslee Brown, who suffered an injury in the semi-final on Friday night. Wimberley did well to lose the first set 26-24. The team’s lack of synchronization with the loss of the senior became more evident and the Wolves won the second set 25-18. The Lady Texans seemed to make an adjustment and held a set point 24-19 lead in the third set, but the Wolves rallied for a 7-0 run to win 26-24.

“Our team really stepped up, but it’s a different ballgame when you lose a starter and I’m sad for her season to end like this,” head coach Stephanie Barthels said after the game, “but I’m so proud of these seniors who leave a legacy of what Wimberley volleyball is about and there’s always next year.”

Noteworthy, Laney Hennessee, a junior, had 18 kills in the game, 525 this season and has a career 1088 kills. Senior Jesse Weeks finishes her career with 2266 assists. In two seasons Rhagen Masur has 1180 digs.