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Comebackers: Lady Wolverines prevail against McKinney
Photo courtesy of Don Sparks
BY CHRIS O'DELL, codell@starlocalnews.com
FRISCO -- It's not how you start but how you finish.
The Wakeland volleyball team proved that Tuesday night in each of the first two sets against McKinney. After falling behind by at least six points in both frames, the Lady Wolverines staged comeback victories in both sets en route to a 3-1 victory.
"It's not something you want to make a habit of, especially during district matches," said Kim Watson, Wakeland head coach. "We're a much better team when we play from ahead."
"It was the first home game of the season and they had a little bit of jitters there at the start," she said. "We are better when we relax and just play."
The Lady Wolverines didn't have a problem digging out of early holes against McKinney, earning a 25-22 win in the opening set after seeing McKinney go ahead, 17-11, in the early going.
Wakeland proceeded to score seven of the next eight points to knot the set at 18-18 before pulling away after a pair of kills from hitter Hannah Skillestad.
"It sure is a lot nicer for me if we can avoid those early deficits," Watson said.
Things didn't start any better for Wakeland during the second set, as the Lionettes scored the first seven points of the frame before Wakeland took a timeout to regroup.
Following the timeout, the Lady Wolverines scored seven straight points of their own to tie the set. A pair of kills from hitters Sarah Hale and Halie McMillan eventually gave Wakeland a 17-11 lead and the Lady Wolverines never looked back from there, taking a 25-15 victory in the set.
McKinney came back strong in a must-win third set and took yet another early lead. This time the Lionettes didn't surrender their lead and steadily put Wakeland away after going ahead 11-8.
The McKinney lead eventually widened to 18-11 with freshman Claire Embry and junior Erin Hoppe leading the charge. The two hitters put the Lady Wolverines away for a 25-17 win in the third, forcing a fourth set in the match.
Both teams went back and forth to begin the fourth frame before Wakeland senior Hannah Hankins closed the book on McKinney.
Hankins had two of her five blocks in the set as well as two of her game-high seven aces to give her team a 16-9 advantage.
The senior later added two of her seven kills to give the Lady Wolverines the 25-21 set victory and 3-1 game win.
"We're just so good with [Hankins]," Watson said. "I have to coach her so little because she knows so much about the game. She's a special player."
McMillan led all players in the game with eight kills and proved to be a difference-maker alongside Hankins.
"We can't ask [Hankins] to carry the entire load," Watson said. "We have to have help from everyone and we got that tonight."
The win improved Wakeland's season mark to 11-6 and the Lady Wolverines now prepare for Thursday's opening game of the Frisco ISD Tournament against Lewisville.
Meanwhile, the Lionettes will also take part in the tourney, opening the action against defending 9-4A champion Centennial.
The tournament will continue with games on Friday before concluding Saturday afternoon.
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