“It’s been a great start and we have a good balance of athletes who have been here and know what it takes to play at a high level,” Ladycats head coach Claire Gay said. “Then, you mix in some of this new blood with kids that are pushing and challenging each other in practice. It has turned into an amazing blend for an amazing culture for this 2025 team. They’re very different from the 2024 team – a lot of different personalities – but they’re very aware of supporting each other and communicating with one another on the court through all situations – no matter what the moment is. They are very eager.”
Aledo began to create separation in the early stages of the first set thanks to big plays from explosive junior Kaelee Berkley, who is coming off an ACL injury last year. Berkley served an ace sprinkled with plenty of monster kills from the outside pen.
“It’s fun being back in front of our home crowd, there’s never a dull moment,” Berkley said. “It makes me eager to be out here coming off my ACL injury. I’ve been ready for this for a year, so I’m happy to be back and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else – players or coaches.”
Star senior Alyssa Todd showcased her offensive prowess with a big kill followed by a beautiful dump shot from senior setter Sophie Frank that swelled the lead to 19-13 and held true to the end of the opening set. Todd and Berkley took turns producing big swings for points to get the offense going and, when Southwest Christian pulled to within 15-12, the consistent back row continued to generate quality passes to give the big hitters more opportunities at the net.
Todd put down consecutive kills to force a Southwest Christian timeout, but she blocked back-to-back Lady Eagle attacks for points that kept the pressure on the visitors, trailing 20-14. In the end, strong swings from Berkley and Kennedy Christie put Aledo one set away from the sweep.
Aledo closed the match out strong with a suffocating effort in the third set. The Ladycats raced out to a 14-3 lead after an ace from senior setter Kailey Hamilton while Berkley and sophomore Lily Morris pounded the ball to the hardwood for a 17-4 advantage. From there, the Ladycats were able to let their reserves help finish out the victory.
“We are very strong defensively across all positions. They work together collectively and work well from each position,” Gay said. “There are kids on the team that may know they may go in five points here and five points there, but they work so hard for those five points in practice for when they come into the match. We want everyone to have opportunities to obtain that confidence when they are called upon to take the floor. And people like Alyssa, who has been on the team since freshman year, knows her role well, too, and she and Kaelee have been really feeding off each other. The middles are exhausted but we are getting them there with our quick offense. We obviously have some holes and weaknesses to work on, but you need to be good in November, not August.”
Berkeley led the charge with a game-high 13 kills while Todd poured in 11. Todd had 15 digs and two blocks while Berkley also served an ace. Senior middle Karsyn Trott impressed up front with seven digs and four blocks, and back row specialist Karsyn Evans dazzled with four aces and a game-high 16 digs. Hamilton and Frank combined for 33 assists and recorded 11 digs apiece while Kenley Hamilton also produced 11 digs. Payton Patrick and Christie had three blocks and one block, respectively.
The Ladycats (9-1) are taking the court again in the Granbury Tournament from Thursday through Saturday at Granbury High School.
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