STREAKING INTO DISTRICT

After sweeping to six straight wins, Class 3A’s 10th-ranked Clifton Lady Cubs open District 17-3A play with straight set victory over Harmony

With the momentum of a strong finish to their non-district and tournament schedule, the Class 3A’s 10th-ranked Clifton Lady Cub volleyball team rode the wave of a winning streak into District 17-3A competition Tuesday night.

Extending their winning streak to six straight matches while sweeping through 18 consecutive sets, the Lady Cubs cruised past the Waco Harmony Science Academy, 25-6, 25-4, 25-8, on the road in their district opener.

But even more impressively, the Lady Cubs (1-0 in district, 27-6 overall) dismantled Class 2A’s third-ranked Hamilton Lady Bulldogs (21-3) in straight sets, 25-18, 25-16, 25-13, in their final dress rehearsal non-district match last Friday. Junior Brystel Wise crushed a season-high 20 kills, followed by senior Addison Martin with seven and sophomore Lucy New with six.

“We played really well,” Clifton volleyball head coach Joy Holzmann said. “We started a little slow, but we came out of it and really played well. We’re ready for district. We’ve played a lot of games and been working really hard. We’re ready to get things going.”

Against Hamiton, the Lady Cubs dominated the net as sophomore Taliyha Davenport towered for a game-high five block, followed by Wise with three, while junior Madison Otter and sophomore Scarlett Kennedy delivered four service aces each. Otter led Clifton with 21 assists, while Kennedy came up with a team-high 16 digs.

“Our girls are doing a great job and playing with a lot of confidence,” Holzmann said. “In our pre-season, I tried to schedule pretty tough. I knew we were going to be pretty good this year, so I wanted to make sure we were challenged. And we’ve been able to compete with those teams.”

In the dominating district opener victory over Harmony, Wise led the Lady Cubs with 11 kills, followed by sophomore Lucy New with six, while Davenport soared to two blocks. Otter delivered a game-high 26 assists, Kennedy smashed a game-high 12 service aces, and Martin came up with a team-high eight digs.

“I’m excited to see what we do during district play,” Holzmann said. “I am very pleased with all of our tournaments and pre-season games, and it should help us be prepared in district. I can’t wait to see what the outcome will be.”

Before wrapping up the non-district slate at Hamilton, the Lady Cubs shook off a slow start to crush the Bosqueville Lady Bulldogs in straight sets, 26-24, 25-9, 25-9, at the Clifton High School gymnasium. Wise hammered a game-high 16 kills, followed by Davenport with eight and Martin with six kills and three service aces. Otter provided a game-high 28 assists while Kennedy came up with 14 digs.

Winning 14 of their last 17 matches, the Lady Cubs will hit the road once again to take on the arch-rival West Lady Trojans (1-0, 15-14) at 4:30 p.m. Friday before returning home to host the Whitney Lady Wildcats (0-1, 7-9) at 6 p.m. next Tuesday.

“Like we say every year, we want to win the district title,” Holzmann said. “But it’s been a while since we’ve done it. Our girls are confident, we come to practice with a purpose every day, and one of our goals is to win the district championship.

“So, that’s what we’re shooting for taking it one step at a time. If we can get that taken care of, we’ll worry about everything else after that.”