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Bi-District Volleyball Playoffs PREVIEW: Birdville vs. Aledo
The 2021 volleyball regular season has flown by and just like that playoffs has started! Teams across the area are all vying for the chance to be crowned as state champions, but before we get to that point we have to go through the entire bracket. This week bi-districts have begun and VYPE Live is covering plenty of games. One of which is Birdville vs. Aledo. VYPE DFW has the preview of both teams and what fans should expect coming into this match-up:
Birdville Lady Hawks (26-17, 9-6)
The Lady Hawks enter playoffs at the No. 4 spot in their district standings just behind Grapevine, Justin Northwest, and Colleyville Heritage. Last week, the team had a strong 3-2 win over Denton High School and will be using that as inspiration to head into playoffs on a strong, high note.
Players to watch for on Birdville's squad include junior outside hitter Caroline Kahle and senior outside hitter Maya Duckworth. Both have been a strong force for the Lady Hawks on the court. Kahle leads the team in attacking with 555 kills in 125 sets played. Duckworth isn't far behind with 429 kills in only 82 sets played. Kahle has also recorded 84 aces, 478 service points, 39 total blocks, and a team-leading 690 digs. Duckworth has recorded 31 aces, 224 service points, 63 total blocks, and 413 digs. Senior Patricia Settlemeir will also be a force to watch out for as she leads the team in blocks with 120 total blocks (75 assisted and 45 solo). Birdville newcomer, Georgia Stinson, is another player to watch for the Lady Hawks. Stinson has mad quite the impact on the team appearing in 125 sets and recording 518 assists, 33 aces, and 232 kills so far this season.
The Lady Hawks have played hard all season and fans should expect nothing less from them in the playoffs.
Aledo Lady Bearcats (26-14, 9-1)
The Lady Bearcats had an exceptional regular season in which they only lost one district match. Their district loss came against a strong Wichita Falls Rider team early last month. Since the loss, however, Aledo has posted a seven-game win-streak and looks to continue showing their dominance on the court on Tuesday evening. Aledo finished district play at the No. 2 spot in their standings just behind Rider and is on the hunt to prove that they have what it takes to be one of the best volleyball teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Strong players to keep your eyes on for Aledo includes sophomore outside hitter Vivian Parker. This season, Parker has totaled 407 kills in 119 sets played. Parker has also recorded 31 aces, 174 service points, 31 total blocks, and 461 digs. Junior defensive specialist Mia Little will also be an athlete to keep your eyes on for Aledo. Little has recorded a team-high 536 digs this season, 16 aces, and 131 service points. Senior middle hitter Sylkar Ellison has also been a strong force for the team as the lead blocker with 82 total blocks (70 assisted, 12 solo). Ellison has also recorded 126 digs, 11 aces, 111 service points, and 159 kills.
What To Expect:
Both teams are wanting the chance to move on in the playoffs and get closer to the goal of winning a state title. Both teams have a strong offensive presence on the court and a demanding defensive presence, so this is going to be a strong match from start to finish on both ends of the net. Aledo is currently on a seven-game win-streak that may give them the confidence needed to go in and pull away from Birdville, but Birdville has shown the type of fight this season that coaches, teammates, and fans want to see on the court- that alone might be enough to power them forward over Aledo.
How To Watch:
If you can't make it to the game, be sure you are following along with VYPE Live where the game will be streamed!
Birdville Volleyball: a handful of key players lead the Lady Hawks in 2021-22 season
Birdville volleyball (20-14) has been pushing their way through the season. Despite a recent close loss to the Denton Broncos, you shouldn't count the Birdville Hawks out just yet.
The Lady Hawks fought their way through non-district play with big wins that really highlighted their strengths on the court. The Lady Hawks saw wins over the likes of North Crowley, Midland Legacy, Canyon, For Worth Paschal and more. The Lady Hawks posted a 17-11 non-district record even beating the likes of Colleyville Heritage (2-1) in early August. Birdville is scheduled to face Colleyville Heritage two more times during district play .
During district play so far, Birdville has posted a 3-3 record with wins over Denton Ryan (3-0), Lake Dallas (3-0), and in-town rival Richland (3-1). Although the Lady Hawks fell just short in their most recent match against Denton, they have proven their ability to bounce back and overcome challenges that are presented before them.
Junior outside hitter Caroline Kahle currently leads the team in kills. Kahle has tallied 434 kills in 101 sets played. Kahle also leads the team in aces where she has racked up 60 earning 334 points. The junior has 517 digs averaging about 15.2 digs per match.
Senior outside hitter Maya Duckworth also continues to prove to be a force on the court for the Lady Hawks with 262 kills in 58 sets played. Duckworth has 268 digs, 24 aces, and 15 solo blocks.
Leading in blocks for Birdville is senior Patricia Settlemier with 25 solo blocks and 35 block assists. Settlemier has 27 digs, and 76 kills in 93 sets played.
Birdville is set to face off against Colleyville Heritage on Friday followed by Northwest on Tuesday, October 5th as the Lady Hawks continue to battle for a playoff appearance.