Keller eliminates Aledo in bi-district volleyball playoff

The Keller Indians eliminated the Aledo Ladycats five sets in the bi-district round Thursday, Oct. 29, at Azle High School.

Keller won the first set 25-23, and then Aledo won the next two sets with identical scores of 25-23. Keller won the next two sets, 25-23, 15-4.

Despite the loss, Aledo head coach Claire Gay praised the team for how they played all season and carried themselves.

“From start to finish, they always got along, and you could just see the joy that they had for the game and for each other,” Gay said. “They rose to the challenge of playing volleyball, and they were great to coach every single day.”

Aledo did not lose a set during an undefeated district season. They suffered their first setback in more than a month Thursday in Game 1.

The first set was back-and-forth, with five lead changes. Aledo took a 22-18 lead, its largest of the set, following two net errors from Keller. However, five straight Keller points allowed the Indians to take a 23-22 lead into the second timeout. Both teams scored a point after the timeout, but Keller finished with the winning point afterward.

In the second set, two early kills by middle blocker Leighton Lindley allowed Aledo to grab an 11-8 lead. Keller took the lead back at 19-16 into a timeout, but the Ladycats went on a 6-1 run into another timeout, aided by two Keller errors and a kill by outside-hitter Kaelee Berkley. A Keller error finished things off for Aledo.

The third set was no different than the first two, with a close margin throughout. After trailing 19-16 at the first timeout, a kill by outside-hitter Kaelee Berkley jumpstarted a Ladycats rally. After the kill, Aledo scored six straight points. Right-side-hitter Lily Morris’ kill increased the Ladycats’ lead to 23-21 late, and Aledo held on to win the set 25-23.

In the fourth set, Keller scored the first three points, but Aledo opened up a 14-9 lead after multiple digs, kills, and Keller mis-serves. Keller tied the score at 17 after an error, but the Ladycats outscored the Indians 5-3 to lead 22-20 at Keller’s timeout. Keller scored two straight points out of the timeout, but a kill from Lindley gave Aledo the lead right back at 23-22.

However, Keller scored three straight points out of its second timeout to win the set and force a fifth set.

Contrary to the close margins of the first four sets, the fifth set was lopsided. The Indians trailed 2-1 early, but scored nine straight points to take a 10-2 lead. Keller closed it out, easily.

Gay praised the Ladycats for changing the culture and improving despite facing new challenges.

“We’ve got a lot of new things going on in this gym. We moved up to 6A and we graduated a lot of kids last year, but we feel like we changed the culture for this program. There’s a big lesson to be learned in taking every match seriously, having a tough preseason, and not ever letting off of the gas, and that’s going to be a huge driving force into next season.”