Calallen High School Volleyball

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Volleyball Time! State Ranked #8 Calallen Fightin' Lady Wildcats claw the the New Braunfels Lady Unihorns in Three straight sets, 25-19, 25-22, and 25-21.

Tilden Gym. Nov.. 5,2007.

Article Credit: Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

H.S. Volleyball: Region IV-4A Semifinals
Finally! Cats earn first trip to IV-4A championship
By Stuart Duncan (Contact)
Originally published 04:14 a.m., November 7, 2007
Updated 04:14 a.m., November 7, 2007 

H.S. Volleyball Semifinals
 

      TILDEN -- Calallen volleyball coach Lupe Cardona didn't want her team 
to celebrate until after it had accomplished its mission Tuesday night.

Well, this celebration was definitely worth waiting for.

For the first time in eight trips to the Region IV-4A semifinals, the 
Wildcats are going to play for the regional championship.

Calallen overcame deficits in each game Tuesday night to sweep No. 18 New 
Braunfels, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 in the IV-4A semis at Tilden High School.

District 31-4A champion Calallen (38-4 overall), ranked 10th in state in 
Class 4A, advances to play either sixth-ranked New Braunfels Canyon or 
Mission Veterans Memorial in the Region IV-4A final later this week at 
a date, time and location to be determined.

"I'm on cloud nine right now," said outside hitter/setter Kelsey 
Schwirtlich, one of nine seniors on the team. "We've worked so hard 
for this -- it's amazing."

"It's so exciting -- we're the first Calallen team to ever do this," 
said senior outside hitter/setter Courtney Oertli, who suffered a 
partially collapsed lung during last year's regional semifinal match. 
"We wanted it, we worked our butts off for it, and we did it."

The Wildcats fell in the regional semifinals each of the past four 
seasons, including last year's loss to eventual state finalist Cedar 
Park Vista Ridge after Calallen took the first game but dropped the next three.

There would be no premature celebrations this time, however, against 
No. 18 New Braunfels (31-10), which was the top-ranked 4A team in the 
state coming into last year's playoffs but fell in the regional quarterfinals.

Schwirtlich and Oertli made sure of that, as they had 12 and 10 kills 
respectively and combined for 30 assists. Calallen junior MB Jackie 
Matula had a match-high five blocks, while Wildcats senior LBO/DS Becky 
Hook had a team-high 11 digs.

"It's overwhelming," Hook said. "We knew we had the heart to do this 
this is what we've been dreaming about."

"We did this for ourselves, for all of the (former players) that were 
in the stands and for all of Calallen," said Wildcats senior outside 
hitter Amanda Haven, who had eight kills in the match.

Calallen erased an early 5-3 deficit in the opener thanks to a 6-0 run. 
Matula's five service points and Oertli's kill highlighted the spurt, 
which gave the Wildcats a 9-5 lead.

New Braunfels wouldn't come closer than two the rest of the way in that 
one, as Calallen closed out with a 22-14 run.

The Wildcats also used a 10-2 run late in Game 2 to overcome a 19-14 
deficit and take a 24-21 lead on two straight service points by Becky 
Hook and a kill by senior OH/MB Angela Hook.

The Unicorns closed within 24-22 on a kill by sophomore MB Andrea 
Hannasch, before an errant kill attempt helped the Wildcats build a 
two-game lead.

Calallen also overturned an 11-10 deficit in Game 3 thanks to an 
8-0 run. Wildcats senior DS Tamara Wostal had seven consecutive 
service points to lead the run, while Haven and Becky Hook combined 
for three kills during the key spurt as well. Schwirtlich, Hook and 
Haven later combined for five kills and Matula had a big block to 
help Calallen close it out and start the celebration.

"I was so excited after the match that I wanted to cry," said 
Angela Hook, who had seven kills and two blocks. "It's an awesome feeling."

And the Wildcats aren't done yet.

CALALLEN def.NEW BRAUNFELS, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21

Aces -- New Braunfels: Amanda Oldani 2, Mary Beth Huber 2. 
Assists -- New Braunfels: N/A. Calallen: Courtney Oertli 16, Kelsey 
Schwirtlich 14.Blocks -- New Braunfels: Andrea Hannasch 1, Demi Payne 1. 
Calallen: Jackie Matula 5, Courtney Oertli 3. Digs -- 
New Braunfels: N/A. Calallen: Becky Hook 11, Oertli 9. Kills -- 
New Braunfels: Hannasch 9, Jennifer Myer 9. Calallen: Schwirtlich 12, 
Oertli 10. RECORDS -- Calallen, Overall, 38-4. New Braunfels, 31-10.