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Danbury bounced from playoffs
Published November 6, 2009
SCHULENBURG — Natalia had heard of Danbury only because the Lady Panther softball team has ousted the Lady Mustangs several times in the softball playoffs.
On Thursday at Longhorn Gym, the Lady Mustangs turned the tables on the Lady Panthers in the Class 2A Region IV area round of the volleyball playoffs in a four-game, 25-11, 19-25, 25-18, 26-24 win.
Danbury ended the season during a turbulent time, still dealing with the death of two former students. The Lady Panthers seemed a bit discombobulated on the court.
“I think the lack of playoff experience really hurt us,” Danbury head volleyball coach Melissa Hansen said. “It has been tough the last couple of weeks, and not playing since last Tuesday showed. At times we played well in spots, but we just didn’t capitalize on their mistakes like we should have.”
Trailing most of the final game, the Lady Panthers got closer with four consecutive points with a kill from Kierstin Perry and Britiany Bailey. With Bailey Vrazel serving, Danbury pulled within a point, 18-17. But the Lady Panthers just couldn’t get over the hump as a long shot from Bailey gave Natalia a two-point advantage, 19-17.
A lift by Lady Mustangs’ Sabrina Mendez again pulled Danbury within a point, 21-20. Later, Lady Panthers tied the game at 23 However, a long serve by Kaylee Garner gave the lead right back to the Lady Mustangs.
A hard shot to the back by Mendez got Natalia within a point of clinching the match. They finally did on a net violation by the Lady Panthers.
Danbury, the District 29-2A co-champ, got romped in the first game when the Lady Mustangs came out blazing. Three blocks by Rosa Soto gave them a 2-0 lead. Natalia took control of the game when Mary Grace Perez pounced one off the Danbury defense to give it a 5-4 advantage and lead for good.
Natalia kept adding to the lead, and Mendez (20 kills) was deadly at the net. She finished with six kills in the first game. Soto finished with five blocks, and Mendez put the game away with another thundering kill.
Danbury fought back in the second game and looked as good as it did throughout the match. The Lady Panthers broke out to a 6-3 lead after a Bailey Vrazel kill. Big shots were administered by Bailey, Vrazel, Perry and Jessica Kelm to keep them ahead.
Natalia did took the lead after Elysa Ruiz served six consecutive points with help by Mendez and Perez at the net. Both teams traded the lead from after tying at 16.
Down the stretch, kills by Bailey and Perry brought Danbury to game point. Bailey and Garner blocked Perez at the net to tie up the match at a one game each.
In the third game, the Lady Panthers reverted to their Game 1 antics and the Lady Mustangs (22-11) capitalized. Perez finished off the game with an ace to Natalia a 2-1 advantage.
“That is the game of volleyball — we couldn’t follow up that Game 2 win,” Hansen said. “We had a hard time capitalizing like we should have.”
The Lady Panthers will lose three starters including Kelm, Perry and Vrazel.
Vrazel led the Lady Panthers with 16 kills, 15 digs and two blocks. Bailey had 13 digs, 11 kills and two blocks and Perry had 10 kills. Macy Peltier finished with 39 assists as Danbury finished the year at 22-9.
Natalia will face Van Vleck and Freer in the next round. Those teams play 7 p.m. Saturday in Refugio.
Joel Luna is the sports editor for The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.
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