Calallen High School Volleyball

Many photos, when computers stops posting pictures, just hit the Refresh button. DSL Cable loads them much, much faster.

Volleyball Time! State Ranked #8 Calallen Fightin' Lady Wildcats end their outstanding season falling to New Braunfels Canyon 25-23, 25-14, and 25-16
The Wildcats Volleyball team has elevated the bar for future CHS Volleyball Teams. Good run Lady Wildcats. Congratulations and best of luck in your future volleyball endeavors.

Pleasanton , Sport Complex. Nov. 5,2007.

Article Credit: Corpus Christi Caller-Times.


PLEASANTON -- With nine seniors on the Calallen High volleyball 
roster, the Wildcats had been through many experiences throughout 
their careers.

But Saturday afternoon was different. It was a new atmosphere. 
There was a chance for Calallen to push even deeper into uncharted 
territory.

The Wildcats showed some jitters during the first regional final 
appearance in program history. Calallen made early errors and was 
forced to make up deficits every game as New Braunfels Canyon denied 
the Wildcats a Class 4A state tournament appearance with a 25-23, 25-14, 
25-16 victory at Pleasanton High.

A team loaded with nine seniors and 23 combined years of varsity experience 
showed nerves at the start of its first regional final.

"A team like (Canyon) is used to being in this situation," Calallen coach 
Lupe Cardona said. "We're not. We were nervous, and we played nervous 
and made mistakes. When we settled down it was too late in that first game.

"I think if we had settled down and played our game, it could have been 
a different story."

The slow starts offset the efforts of senior Kelsey Schwirtlich, who had 
13 kills and 10 assists, and fellow senior Courtney Oertli, who had 12 
assists and 11 digs. Lark Miller paced the Cougars with 15 kills and 
three aces.

The tenth-ranked Wildcats were forced into catch-up mode every game. 
Calallen (38-5) never led in the first game, and was down 5-1 early. 
The team pulled close but there was self-inflicted damage in that 
opening game, with the Wildcats giving the sixth-ranked Canyon (36-7) 
10 points off errors.

There were seven more miscues in each of the final two games. Calallen 
could only manage one-point leads early in both those games. For the 
most part, the Wildcats were forced to rally, tough to do against an 
experienced team.

"If you can maintain that two- or three-point lead, it sure is an 
advantage," Cougars coach Heather Sanders said. "And they were 
bringing it. I've watched them so much trying to prepare for them. 
They're a great team."

Similar scenarios played out during the match. Calallen managed a 
3-2 lead in the second game, and gradually fell behind 11-9. Then 
Canyon went out with a 9-1 tear to provide a little room.

The Wildcats held a 1-0 lead in Game Three, but the Cougars again 
went on a run, scoring five of six points to open an 8-3 advantage. 
Again, Calallen had to play from behind.

"We kind of dug ourselves in a hole," Cardona said. "We did some 
great things, but we were playing catch-up all the time. But that 
goes back to the type of team they are. They're in a tough district 
and are used to that competition every week. It helps them when it 
counts."

That was enough to end the career of the Wildcats' seniors. The team 
made history by making it to this point in the playoffs, something 
no other Calallen volleyball team can claim.

New Braunfels Canyon def. Calallen 25-23, 25-14, 25-16

Kills: Schwirtlich (Cal) 13, Haven (Cal) 6; Miller (Can) 15, 
DeBacker (Can) 9. Assists: Oertli (Cal) 12, Scwirtlich (Cal) 10;
 Smith (Can) 29. 

Digs: Oertli (Cal) 11; Hackfield (Can) 18.