COLLEYVILLE – There are many middle blockers taller than Aajaylah Zeno.
“I’m probably one of the shortest,’’ said the 5-9 Plano West senior.
But height is not everything as Zeno proved in a 3-1 victory over Flower Mound in a Class 6A Division II Region I bi-district playoff match between a pair of the area’s top teams Tuesday night at Colleyville Heritage’s Panther Gym.
Zeno, verbally committed to Stony Brook University finished with 17 kills and saved her best for crucial moments in a 25-22, 20-25, 25-11, 25-22 victory.
“We were very, very hungry for this,’’ said Zeno, clutching the bi-district trophy.
Lady Wolves coach Cooper Phillips said Zeno is the latest in a line of seniors stepping up and accepting leadership rolls in the program.
Plano West (26-7), No. 4 in the Dallas Morning News’ Class 6A area ranking and champion of District 6-6A, advances to the area playoff round and will face Arlington, a bi-district winner over Richardson Berkner on Tuesday.
Flower Mound (23-16), No. 9 in the area and runner-up in District 5-6A became an early victim of the UIL’s newly implemented two-division playoff format.
In past years within a one-division bracket, a district champion would meet a fourth-place finisher in the opening round and a runner-up would play a third-place team.
Zeno’s spike on set point gave Plano West the first set.
Flower Mound never trailed in the second set with senior Audrey Jackson, a UT-Austin pledge, delivering the decider on the fourth set point.
Plano West had a run of 11 consecutive points in the third set with Zeno serving 10 of them and got help from kills by Pepperdine pledge Reese Poerner and blocks from 6-3 freshman Gracie White and Jaida Gray. Poerner, a junior, led the Lady Wolves with 19 kills and White had five.
Flower Mound in the final set fought back from an eight-point deficit to close within one, 23-22. But Zeno’s kill off the block halted the comeback.
Both teams were making their ninth consecutive playoff appearance and each has advanced to the state tournament twice in the last seven years with Flower Mound winning it all in 2018.
Randy Jennings
FRISCO – Frisco Lone Star volleyball coach Leah Hunt celebrated her 35th birthday on Tuesday. Her team ended up giving her the best birthday present she’s ever had, thanks to a bunch of blocks.
Lone Star was absolutely dominant at the net with a 32-7 advantage in blocks, with Lyla Crowder leading the Rangers with nine. Crowder also had a key stretch of serving as Lone Star upset Frisco Liberty 25-15, 12-25, 28-26, 25-17 to give Hunt a Class 5A Division II bi-district playoff victory at Lebanon Trail High School. In the tight third set Camille Perry got the last two points for Lone Star on kills, appropriately ending the set with a block.
Lone Star avenged a four-set loss to Liberty on Sept. 10, but Hunt said that match meant little on Tuesday.
“What we did tonight wasn’t like what we did the last time we played them. It wasn’t what we did two games ago. We have made a lot of changes with positioning and personnel,” Hunt said.
“Our blocks really took over. If we’re disciplined and set them upright, we should the most blocks of any team I’ve seen in our division. Our blocks dictated the game.
“This was the best birthday present ever. It was very, very good.”
Unranked Lone Star (25-14) advances to the area round to face either Lovejoy, which has four state titles in the past five years, or Hallsville with the time, date and site to be determined. It’s the third consecutive season Lone Star has won a playoff match. It’s just the third time since 2017 Liberty (28-8), ranked No. 8 in The Dallas Morning News’ Class 5A/Others area poll, failed to advance past the bi-district round of the playoffs.
Crowder came up with three clutch service points to give Lone Star a 19-14 lead in the fourth set, sparking a 9-3 run to close the match. Crowder also had a set-high five kills to finish with 17 for the match. Lone Star overcame six service errors in the fourth set.
Fueled by superior net play, Lone Star raced out to an 18-8 lead in the first set and was not seriously threatened. Lone Star had a 12-3 edge in blocks in the first set with Shae Ward leading the way with four. Ward had eight blocks for the match.
“When I was serving in the fourth set I was just thinking keep the ball in and be aggressive. All that mattered was our defense. It was just get it to their worst passer and make a move,” Crowder said. “What we did in the first set the tone. It put us on a real emotional high.”
Liberty regrouped in the second set behind the serving of Maddie LaGrone, who ran off seven straight service points to give Liberty a 12-1 lead. Liberty had a 16-9 edge in digs in the second set led by seven from LaGrone.
Kyler Birkelbach added 14 kills in the match for Lone Star while Layla Baker had 34 assists and five blocks. Perry finished with nine kills.
Jaiden Harris had a strong all-around match for Liberty, leading all players with 23 kills while adding 10 assists. Riley Wong added 32 assists for Liberty while LaGrone finished with 25 digs.
Camille Perry provided the last two points for Lone Star on kills with the set-clincher off a block. Perry had six kills for the set while Birkelbach and Lyla Crowder had two apiece for Lone Star. Harris had four kills and six service points in the set.
Rick Kretzschmar
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