BUDA — The Dripping Springs Tigers swept The Hays High School Hawks 3-0 Friday, Oct. 23, to claim the outright District 26-6A volleyball championship and close the regular season heading into the playoffs.
The Tigers turned to their depth in the final set, with a championship at stake. Dripping Springs coach Michael Kane said the team had to show patience as Hays fought to stay in the match.
“We wanted to make sure we had a pretty deep bench,” Kane said. “We wanted to make sure these kids get opportunities to fight when something’s on the line.”
Kane said the players responded with resilience and finished the match.
“I thought those kids finally stepped up and finished it out,” he said.
He also praised Hays coach Marcy Laracuente and her team, saying Dripping Springs prepared for a close contest, rather than assuming the outcome.
“We weren’t overlooking it,” Kane said. “A lot of people were kind of dismissing this as automatic and we knew better than that.”
The title was especially meaningful after Dripping Springs fell short of winning the district outright last season. Kane said this year’s district was again difficult, with parity among the teams.
“We’re proud of it for sure,” he said. “It’s something that we can kind of put on our mantle, so to speak, but now we’re looking on to bigger and better things.”
Dripping Springs player Harper Gump credited the championship to the entire team.
“I think it’s just a whole team effort,” Gump said.
Dripping Springs opens the playoffs Thursday, Oct. 29, against the Stony Point High School at Vista Ridge High School. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Stony Point finished fourth in District 25-6A, with a 5-6 district record. Kane said Dripping Springs has work to do before the matchup.
