By BRIAN PIERSON Banner Press Newspaper
SCHULENBURG — The Schulenburg High School volleyball team won a three set match against Giddings High School Sept. 9 at Shorthorns Gym in Schulenburg by a final score of 25-18, 25-16, 25-15.
As Giddings played a good game and made it close for most of the match, Schulenburg was able to find ways to stretch their lead in each of the three sets to earn the win.
“All around, I thought we had a pretty good match,” said Schulenburg head volleyball coach Donald Zapalac. “Everybody kind of chipped in with what we were looking for. I thought we served them really tough and gave them some good looks. I thought we hit probably the best we’ve hit all season in this one match. I thought we had a lot of really good swings from the outside. Didn’t mix in our middles quite as much as we wanted to, but our outsides really swung well today. Serving was really tough and that’s what we wanted to do.”
Lady Horns junior outside hitter Greenli Van Zandt had 19 kills for the outing and a force throughout the entire match in order to propel her team to victory.
“I think it’s just all my teammates,” Van Zandt said on her success. “Their passes and then Landry’s sets. That’s all it is.”
Both teams traded punches in the first set all the way until the final few points when a ball in the net from Giddings, along with an ace from Schulenburg junior defensive specialist Michaela Kollmann and a few more kills from the Lady Horns gave them a 21-17 lead.
A kill from Van Zandt, another ace, and one more kill from Schulenburg won them the set 25-18.
The second set was close early, then Schulenburg surged ahead 11-7 on two kills, a tip ball, a ball out of bounds from Giddings, and a miscommunication from Giddings.
Schulenburg kept the same kind of lead midway through the set before they went on another run and made it 19-11 on a kill from Van Zandt, forcing Giddings to call a timeout after an ace from senior setter Landry Zapalac and a mishit from the Lady Buffaloes.
Schulenburg didn’t let Giddings climb back for the remainder of the set and kept their advantage with a bunch more kills and a tip ball to win it 2516 on a serve in the net from Giddings.
It was back and forth again in the third set for it’s majority before Schulenburg separated themselves and made it 19-14 on a run that included five kills from Van Zandt and a few mistakes from Giddings.
After trading a few points with each other, Schulenburg won the match on two aces and an illegal hit from the Lady Buffaloes to win the set and match 25-15.
