Westlake Volleyball Went 7-2 Against 68 Teams and the Rest of the State Is On Notice

Westlake volleyball just wrapped up a wild weekend, grabbing fourth place out of a massive 68 teams at the LISD Volleypalooza tournament. They only dropped two matches, and get this: both were against nationally-ranked top 20 opponents. Talk about making a statement early in the season!

Taking on the Nation’s Best

The Chaps kicked off their gold bracket run in style, avenging two earlier losses to Antonian Prep Academy with decisive 25-19, 25-20 wins. Coach Miguel Saenz was pumped, saying, “We got a couple of players back and our defense played very well, it was a good win.” You love to see a team bounce back like that! That victory propelled them right into the semifinals, where they faced a true test: Plano Prestonwood Christian, the No. 6 team in the entire country. They ultimately fell, but bounced back for the third-place match against another national powerhouse, 14th-ranked Duncanville. That one was a grind, with Westlake falling in three hard-fought sets: 17-25, 25-27, 14-25. Finishing 7-2 overall and being the *only* Central Texas team to even make it to the gold bracket? That’s not just good, that’s elite.

Standouts and the Local Scene

When you play that well, individual talent shines, and Westlake had two absolute standouts make the all-tournament team: Geralynn Byers-Veal and Clayton Kelly. Those two were flying around the court, making plays when it mattered most. Around the Central Texas circuit, there were other big performances, too. Georgetown’s Amelia Albright was named most outstanding setter, and Lake Travis’s Gentry Barker, a six-rotation dynamo, also earned an all-tournament nod. Meanwhile, Lewisville Hebron snagged the championship trophy, beating Preston Christian 25-16, 25-22 in the final. We saw Round Rock win the Silver A bracket and Lake Travis take the Silver B, with Georgetown grabbing third in Silver B. It was a busy weekend with tons of action for local squads!

Westlake proved they belong at the top tier. This kind of performance, only losing to two of the nation’s best, sets a serious tone for the rest of their season. Keep an eye on these Chaps; they are making some serious noise right now.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.