Storms began to roll across the Metroplex Tuesday evening, but it was the Frisco Wakeland volleyball team that brought the thunder to their District 12-5A match versus Creekview on their home court.
Wakeland (17-16, 3-2) returned to the victory column with a three-set sweep of the Lady Mustangs (25-8, 25-7, 25-13) in a match that lasted just under an hour.
Aubree Fernandez, a senior Lady Wolverine libero, was a defensive standout who also contributed significantly on attack. No one in the match had double-digit kills, which made Fernandez’s five aces all the more stunning.
“I think it was just my night serving,” Fernandez explained. “Many of us had some good serves. There are a few faults in there, but that happens. Overall, I’m pretty happy.
“It’s great. We didn’t win the last one, so this is a wonderful boost to morale. Everyone is pretty pleased. We had so much fun out there. It’s easy to connect with your teammates while you’re having fun.
Fernandez’s 11 digs and 12 serves helped to set and reset the tone throughout the games and sets, with the team surrendering only three aces and landing 15.
Despite Creekview (7-21, 1-4) taking the opening three points, the second set resulted in the largest scoring separation. Junior Saniyah Robinson had two kills before Wakeland senior Hannah Lee blocked and killed, followed by two aces from senior Emerson Jones, to give the team its first lead at 4-3.
Sophomore Alohi Bandy scored twice before junior Jacey Rogers added two assists to make the score 12-5. Another pair of Rogers assists preceded a Fernandez ace, and Rogers once again assisted freshman Skye Lincoln and Bandy to secure the 19-6 lead.
At the end of the set, sophomore Stella Sanford took control, scoring an ace before finishing with a pair of assists to make the score 25-7. Sanford finished the game with 16 assists and two aces.
“There’s lots of good stuff the team hasn’t done before,” stated Wakeland head coach Ally Cobb. “You can tell what they’re growing better at. Blocking and connections both seem better. We had one of our females injured, so we had to rearrange the lineup. Next girl up, but they’ve handled it in stride and remained focused.
“We’ve got a big one Friday against Lone Star.”
Creekview’s strongest stretch came in the third and final set. In contrast to set two, Wakeland scored the first three points before Creekview could score. A pair of out-of-bounds baskets contributed to a 7-1 deficit before senior Alexis Pebley and Robinson made it 8-3.
Before Creekview made its drive, Rogers connected with Lee and junior Addison Shutley blocked a shot, extending the advantage to 13-4. Senior Chloe Davis scored the kill, and aces from sophomore Brinley Arnold and senior Kennedy Allen pulled the set to 14-10.
The Lady Mustangs’ final point was an assist from Davis to Robinson, which brought the set to a 25-13 finish.
Robinson led the squad with six kills, while junior Ilania Rodriguez had seven digs and Davis received 21 serves.
Wakeland’s first set was very identical to his second. Rogers and Sanford combined for four assists and a kill, giving them a 9-1 lead. Fernandez’s three aces extended the lead to 17-5 before Sanford added four assists in the team’s final five points for a 25-7 victory.
Wakeland’s next game is Friday at 5:30 p.m. versus Lone Star on the road. Creekview will also be on the road, playing The Colony at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
