SPECIAL
OFFERS

Click on the item below for more information on great offers for LoneStarVolleyball fans

COACHES The state-of-the-art spiking machine is now available.

Round Top-Carmine stuns Windthorst

SAN MARCOS — Round Top-Carmine ended Windthorst's run of six straight state titles and buried four years of frustration here Saturday morning winning the 1A state championship in five dramatic games, 22-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 15-13. RTC and Windthorst were meeting in the finals for the fifth straight year and it had been all Windthorst in the four previous. This one was different. It also was the best state finals match in years.

"It was a classic Round Top-Windthorst war," said RTC coach Tanya Nygrin. "In the past I didn't feel like we always showed up to play in the finals. I felt like today, win or lose, we showed up to play."

Jillian Graham led RTC with 24 kills and was named the state tournament MVP. But if ever there was an MVP it was RTC's 5'4" senior defensive specialist RaChelle Etzel, who recorded 34 digs and continually frustrated Windthorst's taller, powerful hitters with diving digs and pinpoint passing.

"I think we mentally outplayed them," said Etzel. "Our goal was to keep them out of the middle and we did that. I felt very dIfferent before this match than I ever felt before any of the other state finals."

"It was a great match and that's what a state championsip is all about," said Windthorst coach Stacy Wolfe, whose team features four players over 5'10" and two 6-footers. RTC has no player over 5'9. "They did an outstanding job of picking up and playing wonderful defense. We didn't put it away when we had a chance. Streaks always have to end and you try to postpone it at all cost, but, hey, second in the state of Texas, that's pretty good."

Windthorst jumped to a 12-9 lead in the deciding game five, forcing a RTC time out. The Cubettes responded by putting together a four-point run highlighted by two powerful kills from Graham. That gave RTC a lead it would never give up as Graham had four straight kills and would have had a fifth if Windthorst had not been in the net on match point.

"I just told them that we had to do what we've been doing - play defense," said Nygrin. "Windthorst is great. They are big and strong. They have great hitters but we did a great job of hitting the floor, digging the ball and keeping itl alive."

"They just played really good defense," said Windthorst junior Allison Schreiber, a junior who had 13 kills. "They dug a lot of our balls. It (losing) makes us want to come back and work even harder next year."

Kerstin Siptak had 13 kills and setter Kathryn Cordes, fighting off leg cramps in the final two games, finished with 51 assists to lead RTC.

Kandis Schroeder had 19 kills, 18 digs and four blocks (1 solo) while Dani Veitenheimer added 18 kills for Windthorst. Allison Schreiber had 24 assist for Windthorst.

Windthorst, which had beaten RTC twice earlier this season, opened the match as if it would be a rout, jumping to a 20-9 lead. RTC rallied to cut the lead to 24-22 before Windthorst closed out the game, but it was an omen of things to come. With the score tied at 19-19 in game two, RTC shocked the defending champs with a six-point run to even thngs at 1-1. Game three was more of the same. Windthorst seemed in control taking a 22-20 lead only to watch RTC rally to tie the score but that was as close as the Cubettes would get.

RTC refused to go away, jumping to an 8-2 lead to start game four and expanding as Etzel continued to frustrated the bigger Windthorst hitters with diving digs all over the court as RTC rolled to a 25-19 win setting up the deciding game.

RTC ends its season at 36-6 and Windthorst finishes 40-2.

Kills
Windthorst - Kandis Schroeder 19, Dani Veitenheimer 18, Allison Schreiber 13, Tessa Sales, Megan Teichman 6
RTC - Jillian Graham 24, Kerstin Siptak 13, Brooke Eckert 7, RaChelle Etzel 6

Assists
Windthorst - Allison Schreiber 24, Kenda Schroeder 17
RTC - Kathryn Cordes 51

Digs
Windthorst - Schroeder 18, Schreiber 15, Tessa Sales 9
RTC - Rachelle Etzel 34, Siptak 12, Brooke Eckert 10

Aces
Windthorst - Schreiber, Schroeder, Sales 2
RTC - Etzel, Siptak, Graham, Jill Beknke 2, Cordes 1

Blocks (solo/assists)
Windthorst - Schroeder 1/3, Schreiber 0/3, Meghan Teichman 0/2, Shelby Moer, Veitenheimer 0/1
RTC - Eckert, Siptak, Graham 1