Yorktown Sweeps Leopards, Starts District Play 1-0

Claire Person, Staff Writer

The Yorktown Kitty Kats opened district play on Tuesday with a strong performance, sweeping the Kenedy Leopards in three straight sets. Yorktown controlled the match from the beginning, never letting Kenedy gain enough momentum to take a set.

The Kitty Kats started the match with a convincing 25-12 victory in the first set. One of their middles, Avery Martin, really showed out despite the nerves surrounding the first district game. When asked what her mindset was going into the game, she said, “I feel like the first district game sets the tone for the rest of the season. I knew I wanted to go out there, have energy, and play with confidence.” She definitely did just that. Yorktown's strong start set the tone for the rest of the night as the team played with confidence and kept pressure on the Leopards.

The second set proved to be the closest of the match. Kenedy battled back, and Yorktown lost the lead, forcing them to battle back and fight for every point. Setter, Palyn Koopmann, executed a setter dump for a kill to end the set. Despite being down, the Kitty Kats ended up pulling out a 26-24 win, giving them a 2-0 lead.

Yorktown then carried that momentum into the third set, forcing a timeout from Kenedy early in the match after a backrow kill from Zoe Rodriguez followed by two aces from Gracie Stehling. The Kitty Kats kept the energy up throughout the entire set, finishing with a 25-14 victory to end the game with a sweep. With the win, the Kitty Kats earned their first district victory of the season and began district play on a strong note. 

The final scores were 25-12, 26-24, and 25-14, as Yorktown swept Kenedy in three sets. 

The Kitty Kats have big goals for this season, and senior Avery Martin said, “I hope we strive and put in the hard work to become District Champions! I hope everyone makes our last season together the best one.” The Kitty Kats will look to build off the momentum from their district-opening win as they continue their season with big expectations. When asked of their season expectations, Coach Savannah Wagner said, “My expectations for the rest of district play are for the girls to play their game, shake off any mistakes, and get the next point. We are a talented and experienced team that has the ability to win a lot of volleyball games.” With that being said, there is a lot on the line as district play continues for the Kitty Kats.