Calallen High School Volleyball

If all Photos do not download, hit refresh button, repeat as necessary.

Senior setter Becky Hook makes a fine set to the front in the final game against the "on fire" Carroll Tigers.

Senior Server Becky Hook drills the ball over the volleyball net and helps the Lady Wildcats in a comeback from behind to win and to crush the hopes of the "Hot" Carroll Lady Tigers from tagging a loss to the undefeated Lady Wildcats.

THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME CALALLEN BEAT CARROLL. HERE IS THE ARTICLE OF THE SEASON OPENER -- CALALLEN VS CARROLL.

ARTICLE CREDIT: Stuart Duncan; Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Cats' Oertli returns with winning effort
Calallen wins season opener with its senior setter healthy again

Calallen senior setter Courtney Oertli is back on the volleyball court -- and all is well
with the Wildcats volleyball team this season.

Oertli jumped for joy after capping off the victory over Carroll with a big block for match
point in the Wildcats' 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23 non-district triumph over the Tigers
Monday evening in the season opener for both teams at Carroll High School.

Both teams were supposed to open with Pearsall in a tri-match earlier, Monday but the
Mavericks decided not to travel.

Oerti -- who suffered a partially collapsed lung in Calallen's final playoff match last
season against state-ranked Cedar Park Vista Ridge and spent two days in the hospital --
teamed with standout senior middle blocker Kelsey Schwirtlich (who has given a verbal
commitment to play for UTSA next season) for several big plays to foil Carroll's comeback bid.

Oertli and Schwirtlich combined for 25 kills, 21 assists and eight blocks to lead Calallen,
which features nine seniors from last year's District 31-4A championship team that reached
the Region IV-4A semifinals.

"I'm so excited to be playing volleyball again," Oertli said. "It took a lot of prayers
and a lot of healing, so I'm just leaving it all in God's hands. I really don't think
about (the night it happened) anymore."

"Courtney's strong, and nothing like that is going to hold her back," said Calallen senior
middle blocker Angela Hook, who with Oertli had a team-high six blocks in the match.
"I knew Courtney would come back and play -- she's been great for us."

Wildcats coach Lupe Cardona hopes Oertli's inspirational comeback will be the key
ingredient for a Calallen volleyball team wanting to get past the regional semifinals
for the first time ever this season.

"Courtney's put the past behind her -- she's unbelievable," Cardona said. "This is
the most competitive I've ever seen her play. Courtney worked really hard over the
summer, and I'm hoping that the competitiveness that she's showing will help us get
to the next level."

Carroll coach Doris Elizondo-- who was at Calallen's regional semifinal playoff match
in San Antonio last season and watched Oertli being loaded into the ambulance -- is
just as happy to see the potential Division I college volleyball player return to the Wildcats'
starting lineup this season, even if it did mean Carroll dropping its opener.

"Courtney will not give up -- she's a fighter," Elizondo said of Oertli. "Courtney, Kelsey,
(senior outside hitter) Amanda Haven -- all of those (Calallen) girls are like that."

That was bad news for the Tigers, however, who led in every game only to watch the
Wildcats rally to win three of four.

Carroll held leads of 8-0, 4-0, 5-1 and 15-10 in those games but won only Game 3.

Senior middle blocker Jessica Jimenez led the Tigers with 22 kills and nine blocks
and junior setter Ashley Carrillo added a game-high 33 assists, but it wasn't enough
to stop Oertli, Schwirtlich and Calallen from starting the season on a winning note.

"Carroll's a great team, and this is a big win for us," Oertli said.

"For being as green as we are, we fought as hard a battle as we could and my kids
showed me something tonight," Elizondo said. "Calallen just fought harder tonight --
they're more seasoned than we are right now."

Thanks to Oertli's return to the court, which has made a world of difference for
the Wildcats already this season.

CALALLEN def. CARROLL

25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23

Calallen: Kelsey Schwirtlich 1, Tamara Wostal 1. Carroll: Ashley Carrillo 1, Hailey Heitcampt 1, Erica Humbach 1. Assists -- Calallen: Oertli 21, Schwirtlich 20. Carroll: Ashley Carrillo 33, Ashley Whittington 12. Blocks -- Calallen. Angela Hook 6, Oertli 6. Carroll: Jessica Jimenez 9. Digs -- Calallen: Becky Hook 18, Schwirtlich 13. Carroll: Hailey Gillis 19, Jimenez 17. Kills -- Calallen: Schwirtlich 13, Oertli 12. Carroll: Jimenez 22, Hailey Gillis 9. Records -- Calallen, non-district, 1-0. Carroll, non-district, 0-1.

JV -- Carroll def. Calallen, 25-14, 25-8. FR -- Carroll def. Calallen, 25-10, 22-25, 25-12.