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Birdville volleyball gears up for the Regional Quarterfinals
Birdville volleyball is headed into the UIL State Regional Quarterfinals Tuesday evening where they will face off against a tough Colleyville Heritage squad. This season, the Birdville Hawks have posted a 28-17 record and are looking forward to extending the record and heading into the next round of playoffs on Tuesday. VYPE DFW takes a deep dive into the Hawk's season so far and what fans can expect from them against Colleyville Heritage:
A Look Back
After defeating Aledo 3-2 in an exciting five-set match during the first round of playoffs, the Hawks took on Burleson last week where they swept the Elks in three quick sets allowing the Hawks to advance to the regional quarterfinals against Colleyville Heritage. The Hawks last faced Colleyville Heritage in late October where the Panthers were able to post a 3-1 win over the Hawks and before that, the Panthers posted a 3-2 win over the Hawks in early October.
So far this season, senior outside hitter Maya Duckworth has been an incredible force on the court for the Hawks. Duckworth has tallied 469 kills, 34 aces, 244 service points, 68 total blocks, and 457 digs. Duckworth was also recently named to the AVCA All-Region Team:
Congrats, Maya Duckworth, for being named to the AVCA All Region Team! pic.twitter.com/10mSyxGV7Q
— Birdville Volleyball (@birdvillevball) November 8, 2021
Another strong force for the team this season has been junior outside hitter Caroline Kahle who leads the team in digs with 727 total digs. Kahle has also recorded 44 blocks, 570 kills, 85 aces, and 502 service points.
What To Expect:
Having lost the two most recent meeting against Colleyville Heritage, the Hawks are coming into this game ready to battle, ready for revenge, and ready to put a stop to the Panthers. The Hawks defense has been strong this season dropping 62 sets while winning 85. With strong athletes on the court who already know what to expect against Colleyville Heritage, fans are going to see Birdville rise to the occassion and do whatever it takes to advance or leave it all on the court in an attempt to make it to the next round.
Birdville hasn't made it passed the regional quarterfinals round since the 2018-19 season when they defeated Amarillo in a 3-0 sweep in the regional quarterfinals, but then faced a 3-2 loss to Amarillo Randall in the regional semifinals. The Hawks have a couple of athletes from that team that are ready to put it all on the line and do whatever it takes to get back to the semifinals and even beyond!
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!