Not one but two Killeen ISD volleyball teams are now bi-district champions.
Harker Heights and Chaparral each prevailed in thrilling, edge-of-the-seat fashion and advanced this week to the second round of the playoffs.
The postseason victories were the first for both programs, which stirred up excitement on their campuses and across KISD with their most recent performances.
Harker Heights’ first trip to the playoffs since 2020 turned out to be a late-night adventure in Italy on Monday night with the best outcome possible.
The Lady Knights (19-14) battled back after dropping Game 1, stayed composed when Mesquite Horn evened the match at 2-2 and finished the task in the fifth for a 17-21, 25-23, 25-16, 17-25, 15-9 victory in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff.
Harker Heights next faces Wylie East (33-8) at 6 p.m. on Thursday back at Italy High School.
The first serve Monday didn’t arrive until after 8 p.m. and the final point was recorded after 10:30 p.m. Yet through it all, Harker Heights found a way to extend its season and make some history in the process.
“The girls stayed positive and stuck to the game plan,” head coach Crystal Bennett said. “Coming in, we knew they were bigger than us and we couldn’t out-muscle them. But, we could out-smart them.”
Nasya McGinnis recorded 16 kills, Mileyana Hopkins landed 15 kills, and Jesselix Acevedo Lebron chipped in six kills and 10 digs. Also for the Lady Knights, Amaya Rich had 37 assists and Zariah Pena 33 digs.
“I’m so proud of my girls,” Bennett added. “They are now a part of school history.”
The same can be said for the Lady Bobcats (24-12), who hopped on a bus Tuesday for a 2-hour trip north to Red Oak and returned with the gold ball in hand.
Chaparral –– in the playoffs for the third time in as many seasons under the guidance of third-year coach Sarah Neal –– and Red Oak traded set wins to a 2-2 tie and needed a winner-take-all fifth set to decide the nail-biting encounter.
The Lady Bobcats secured their spot in the area round with a clutch performance in the first-to-15 set and locked up the 5A-I bi-district title, 25-17, 20-25, 25-18, 29-31,15-9.
“Just a lot of grit. Our girls never counted themselves out,” Neal said of her team’s performance.
“If it comes down to a fifth set, our mentality is first to five (points), first to 10 and first to 15. We have done that every time we needed it this year. So, we knew we could do it again.”
The District 16-5A champions who’ve now won 11 straight matches next face North Mesquite (12-13) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Waco University High School.
Against Red Oak, Alondra Rosario delivered a single-match, program-record 36 digs, Mikayla Gray registered a triple double of 28 digs, 19 assists and 16 kills, Kemani Washington posted 13 kills and six blocks, Giomarlie Cruz and Bailey Thompson had six kills apiece, Jeish Reyes had 19 digs, and Aryanna Gonzalez had 13 digs and 18 assists.
“Just so proud of all of them,” Neal said.
The Ellison volleyball team, which was in the playoffs for a 12th consecutive year, had its season ended by Midlothian Heritage in the first round Tuesday, 25-18, 25-21, 26-24.
