GARLAND – Cindy Tchouangwa slammed a ball down the middle of the court, giving Tompkins a three-point lead late in the fifth set of a marathon match. She then raised her arms to the heavens.
It was a sigh of relief for her Katy Tompkins volleyball team, which survived the ultimate test from Keller in the UIL Class 6A state semifinal Friday at Curtis Culwell Center, winning 26-24, 17-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-11. MaxPreps No. 7 nationally ranked Tompkins (42-4) moves on to Saturday’s 5 p.m. state championship. Keller (33-12) bows out in the Final Four after finishing runner-up in 2021.
“Very, very high-caliber teams,” Keller first-year coach Danielle Barker said. “It just didn’t fall our way those last couple points.”
Keller’s Leah Ford had 15 kills, and hit .414. Reagan Sharp had 11 kills, and Anna Flores 10 kills in a match highlighted by 27 ties and 11 lead changes. Indians setter Taylor Polivka had 46 assists. Tendai Titley had 18 kills, and Tchouangwa 14 kills, 21 digs and four blocks for the Falcons.
Polivka’s kill tied the decisive set at 9 before Tompkins ran off three straight, the latter the blast by Tchouangwa. Keller drew no closer than two.
“To be able to go to state twice with this group of girls is just amazing, surreal,” Polivka said, leaving her lasting imprints on an Indians team before departing for Miami.
She, like Ford, who is off to USC, hand the reigns to Barker after a magical run.
“She stepped up in the role, and I know it was probably a scary, intimidating thing, but she did the same thing and really stepped up,” Ford said of Barker. “She made a huge bond with us, and really pushed us to get us where we are today.”
Tchouangwa’s cross-court laser tied the first set at 21. Presley Powell’s two blocks moved Tompkins within set point before the Indians tied it, but Titley’s kill and Brooklynn Merrell’s ace sealed it. Brooklyn Harter’s kill put Keller up 18-15 in the second. Flores and Ford’s block, and Kea Whillock’s ace made it 22-16. Harter’s kill and Bailey Cooper’s ace tied the match at 1-1.
Flores blasted a ball for a 12-5 lead in the third. Harter and Flores had kills, extending the Indians’ lead to 21-15 before Keller took a 2-1 set match lead. Titley banged two critical kills late in the fourth set, and Funk tapped down an overpass kill to tie the match at 2-2.
Whillock had 22 digs for Keller, which never trailed in the third set.
It is Tompkins’ first trip to the state title match.
“I don’t even know if I have words right now, other than, ‘Wow,’” Falcons coach Allison Merrell said. “They just did a heck of a job today, just fighting.”
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