GAMES
RANKINGS
Mansfield Volleyball continues regular dominance on the court
Last season, the Mansfield Lady Tigers made a deep playoff run before eventually falling to Sachse in three sets. Finishing at the top of their district, the Lady Tigers posted a 14-0 undefeated district record (21-3 season record) defeating the likes of Duncanville, Waco, DeSoto, Ellison, Rockwall-Heath, and more. This season, Mansfield looks to continue to show their strengths on the court in hopes of securing the playoffs and maybe even a state championship run.
So far this season, Mansfield has posted a 24-15 record with a 61% winning percentage. During district play, the Lady Tigers are off to a strong start again going 6-0 against their district opponents. In district play, Mansfield has beaten Duncanville (3-1), Waco Midway (3-1), Waco (3-0), Mansfield Lake Ridge (3-0), DeSoto (3-0), and most recently Waxahachie (3-1).
Led in kills by two strong seniors, the Lady Tigers have totaled 1,312 kills so far this season. Senior middle hitter Ava Roberts has accounted for 471 kills in 108 sets played. Senior outside hitter Brynn Williams has accounted for 413 kills in 107 sets played. Roberts also has 33 aces for 179 serving points while Williams has 35 aces on 219 serving points. Williams leads the team in digs with 384 digs averaging 9.8 digs a match while Roberts is not far being with 313 digs (averaging eight digs a match).
Defensively, junior middle hitter Tyla Perry leads the team in blocking with 71 total blocks. Perry has 55 assisted blocks and 16 solo blocks. Sophomore middle hitter Lauren Demuth is the second-best blocker so far this season with 58 total blocks. Demuth has 44 assisted blocks and 14 solo blocks. Roberts has 54 total blocks (37 assisted, 17 solo) while Williams has 47 total blocks (20 assisted, 27 solo).
Both Roberts and Williams are currently in the running for the VYPE DFW Midseason Public School Volleyball Player of the Year Fan Poll.
Next up for Mansfield, the Lady Tigers will take on a Cedar Hill this Friday followed by Duncanville next Tuesday where fans can expect the Lady Tigers to continue to show their dominance on the court.
QUARTERFINALS PREVIEW: Mansfield vs. Waxahachie
The Mansfield Lady Tigers are set to take on the Waxahachie Lady Indians on Friday afternoon in a quarterfinals matchup. This meeting will be the third time the two teams have faced off this season. Before the athletes hit the pitch, let's take a look at how they got there.
Mansfield:
With a 77% win percentage, Mansfield has posted an 18-5-1 overall record (10-3-1 in district). Three losses (against Waxahachie and Lake Ridge) in district play had the Lady Tigers sitting in the No. 2 spot in their district- just behind Lake Ridge (12-1).
Mansfield is coming off of a huge 2-1 win in overtime against a tough Rockwall squad. The Lady Tigers have outscored their opponents by 96 points and have shown incredible strength all season with a drive to continue towards a state title.
Waxahachie:
Waxahachie comes into the match on a six-game win streak after a 1-0 shut-out win over Mesquite Horn on Tuesday. With an 82% win percentage and a 19-3-3 overall record (9-3-2 in district), the Lady Indians have fought for bragging rights all season- finishing third in their district.
The Lady Indians have held their opponents to only 25 points all season and have continuously shown defensive toughness matched with offensive strength in multiple shut-out wins through district play over teams like Waco (5-0 and 9-0), Cedar Hill (2-0), DeSoto (7-0 and 5-0), and more. Their only losses have come against a strong district rival in Lake Ridge and Waco Midway.
What To Expect:
The teams have met twice before this season with both matches going in Waxahachie's favor. Their first meeting was in February where the Lady Indians topped the Lady Tigers 2-1. The second meeting was in March when the Lady Tigers fell 1-0 to the Lady Indians. It's safe to assume that Mansfield might have the chip on their shoulder that it takes to defeat Waxahachie in a third meeting. Mansfield fans can expect the Lady Tigers to start and finish strong regardless of the outcome. Waxahachie has been consistent all season, so fans should expect them to come in strong and ready to fight for their goal.
The game is set for 2 p.m. on Friday at Midlothian ISD Stadium.