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Home court advantage: Wylie Prep sweeps Abilene Christian in area round

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Latest, Sports

Wylie Prep senior Parker Fitzgerald hits the ball around the block of two Abilene Christian blocks on Tuesday. The Lady Patriots won their area-round playoff game over Abilene Christian in three sets from Wylie Prep. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By Mark Saldana

[email protected]

WYLIE – Wylie Preparatory Academy’s volleyball team showcased dominance Tuesday night as they swept Abilene Christian School in a three-game match (25-16, 25-17, 25-15) on their home court, securing the TAPPS 3A area-round win.

With this decisive victory, the Wylie Prep Lady Patriots extended their winning streak to 13 games, moving one step closer to their state title aspirations as they advance to the regional round of playoffs.

Senior standout Parker Fitzgerald led the charge with a powerful performance, tallying 9 kills, 2 aces, and 1 block. Known for her relentless energy on the court, Fitzgerald also contributed 10 digs to bolster the team’s defensive efforts.

“I am feeling really excited and confident to be moving on in hopes to get to state,” Fitzgerald said. “I think our primary focus in advancing needs to stay communicative and continue to be cohesive as a team so we can reach the end goal of a state title.”

Summer Van Meervald, another senior powerhouse, was instrumental in orchestrating the team’s offense, recording an impressive 33 assists. Her versatility excelled as she added 4 aces, 7 kills, and 1 block to her stat line, showcasing her all-around skill.

“I am incredibly proud of my team and how far we have come,” Van Meervald emphasized. “I believe we need to stay disciplined as a team and keep our eye on that state title, with good communication and drive. I believe we could make it happen because of how bad we want to win.”

Head Coach Jodie Rye praised her team’s performance, noting, “I believe our passing was phenomenal tonight, we had it in our game plan specifically to try and have more opportunities to score. Moving onto the next round, we need to keep fighting and accomplish our ultimate goal of a state title.” 

With a total of 45 kills throughout the match, Wylie Prep’s offense proved to be too powerful for Abilene Christian.

Wylie Prep will play Denton Calvary at 6 p.m. Thursday in the third round at Texoma Christian Academy in Sherman.

For more on this story see the November 14, 2024 print, or digital edition of The Wylie News. Subscribe today and support local journalism in your community.

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