Burnet volleyball adds district wins, gives free clinic
CAPTION: Freshman middle blocker Taylor Smith (left) and senior athlete Journey Denton are part of a defense few hitters want to face. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Burnet High School volleyball team keeps adding District 24-4A wins. And equally impressive is that those victories complete sweep seasons of opponents inside venues that weren’t The Doghouse in Burnet.
The latest came at Jarrell 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 Oct. 17 and at Taylor 25-15, 25-13, 25-14 Oct. 14.
“We wrapped up a fantastic week of volleyball with two program sweeps on the road against Taylor and Jarrell,” head coach Crystal Shipley said.
With one week left in the regular season, the Lady Dawgs (24-8, 8-3) are showing they are primed for what’s coming – another playoff berth.
“The girls are doing a great job of getting the rhythm going early, and it’s exciting to see,” Shipley said. “I think it is building confidence in the team and it’s the perfect time for that.”
Traditionally, Jarrell has been a tough place for many opponents to play and win. And yet the Lady Dawgs won somewhat comfortably. Shipley credited two important traits for the outcome.
“It is a tough place to play, and they are a scrappy team for sure,” she said. “Our team fought for every point, having to overcome errors and being down at times. Their mental toughness continues to get stronger. The effort they give defensively is priceless and definitely helps frustrate opponents.”
The coach said the team has returned to some “old Shipley traditions” for their pre-game preparations, which may explain why the Lady Dawgs’ intensity continues to be high.
“I think it helps us all to get focused,” she said. “It seems to have helped with focus and attitude before stepping on the court.”
The week ended with the Lady Dawgs offering a free volleyball clinic at the YMCA of the Highland Lakes.
“As a way to give back to our community,” Shipley said. “It was an amazing time and always wonderful to see our athletes serve. We say it all the time, but it truly is about more than just volleyball.”
The Lady Dawgs will go to Austin St. Michael’s Tuesday, Oct. 21, for a non-district contest then welcome Georgetown Gateway to The Doghouse Friday, Oct. 24. The subvarsities play at 5 p.m. and the varsity follows at 6 p.m.
The program has moved the date it will honor its seniors and parents to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, before the start of a warm-up match against Johnson City (30-9, 6-0 District 29-2A), the Class 2A Division I state champions. Playoff shirts are available by clicking here.
“We hope to see everyone there to celebrate our amazing seniors in their final home game,” Shipley said.
STATISTICS
For the week of Oct. 14-17
Kills – Grace Cullison 15, Peyton McCabe 12, Landry Schubert 11, Taylor Smith 10, Journey Denton 9, Wrigley Mulhollan 2, Marisa Porter 2; assists – Porter 28, Brooklynn Dawes 23, Payton Smith 9, Clark 2, McCabe 1, Schubert 1, T. Smith 1; aces – Clark 3, G. Cullison 3, P. Smith 3, Dawes 3, Porter 2, Denton 1; digs – P. Smith 29, Denton 21, Porter 21, G. Cullison 9. Dawes 8, Sarah Cullison 7, Peyton Allen 5, Clark 4, McCabe 4, Schubert 4, Ava Alexander 3, Mulhollan 2, T. Smith 2, Cali Eason 1, Brianne Smith 1; blocks – Schubert 7, McCabe 6, Denton 3
CAPTION: Burnet High School volleyball player Wrigley Mulhollan demonstrates a ball-on-the-wall drill during the free clinic at the YMCA of the Highland Lakes. Courtesy photo
