West Texas Volleyball Recap: Liberty Shines, West Plains Surges, Amarillo High Stays Hot

Steven Liles
Aug 27
3 min read

Tuesday night was packed with statement wins and gritty performances across West Texas as district 3-5A play continued to heat up and marquee non-district matchups delivered.

Liberty vs Shallowater

Liberty Lady Patriots — Liberty huddles before the 2nd set. (Ryder Grace Liles / Sideline Sports)

In the night’s marquee matchup, Liberty showed its championship resolve with a straight set win on the road at Shallowater (25-23, 25-14, 25-23).

The Lady Patriots took Shallowater’s best punch early. Down late in the first set, they steadied themselves and battled back to snatch a 25-23 win that quieted a loud and proud Shallowater crowd. In the third set, Liberty once again leaned on its toughness, erasing a 23-20 deficit with a closing run that sealed the sweep.

Madi Heider Liberty Lady Patriots — Madi Heider with the kill (Ryder Grace Liles / Sideline Sports)

Lexie Allgood was unstoppable at the net, finishing with 18 kills. Madi Heider added 7 kills and 3 blocks, while Braylee Barron chipped in 3 more blocks. Karson Killham and Jacelyn Gestes orchestrated the offense with 26 and 13 assists respectively. The defense was anchored by Kennedy Ezell with 14 digs and Campbell Beeler with 12. Gestes also sparked momentum with 5 service aces, while Killham added 3.

Shallowater, now 14-2, showed fight throughout. Jorja McGuire posted 7 kills and 20 digs, Emma Clawson added 8 kills, and setters Aniston Vanatta and Jaci Fenter combined for 20 assists. Taylor Wood held down the back row with 16 digs.

This win adds to Liberty’s already impressive résumé, which includes a Bev Ball Classic championship and statement victories over the reigning 4A state champions.

West Plains vs Frenship

West Plains protected its home court with an impressive 3–0 win over Frenship (25-20, 25-13, 32-30). The Lady Wolves improved to 13-7 overall behind a stellar all around performance.

Kynzie Ward delivered 19 kills, while Aaniyah Kitchen added 12 kills and a team high 6 blocks. Setter Cecilia Murillo directed the offense with 32 assists. On defense, Idaly Sotelo finished with 15 digs and Bella Wineberg added 14 digs.

Amarillo High vs Coronado

It was a battle of district rivals, but Amarillo High swept Coronado on the road (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) to move to 9-7 overall and 2-0 in district play.

The Lady Sandies showcased a mix of veteran strength and rising talent. Kinsler Hanson led with 16 kills. Sophomore phenom Harper Vaughan added 11 kills, 18 assists, and 11 digs. Bennett Rea handed out 18 assists, while Ellen Head served up 4 aces. Anzley Davis anchored the defense with 13 digs.

Coronado, now 8-8 overall and 1-1 in district, showed fight in the third set. Hailee Parrott Curtis led with 11 kills and 4 digs. Caitlyn Olguin finished with 11 assists, 3 digs, and an ace. Malory Holdman also tallied 11 assists with 5 digs and 2 aces. Addison Brown recorded 9 digs to lead the back row.

Lubbock Cooper vs Palo Duro

Lubbock Cooper Lady Pirates — Daniel Maisen blocks for LCP (Austin Hartsfield / Sideline Sports)

The Lady Pirates opened district play in style, sweeping Palo Duro on the road (25-21, 25-16, 25-9) to move to 12-4 overall.

Broox Lopez tallied 28 assists and 3 aces. Haley McCallick added 10 kills. Clara Pesterfield controlled the back row with 19 digs and 3 aces.

Tascosa vs Caprock

Tascosa stayed perfect in district play with a straight set win over Caprock (25-15, 25-13, 25-17). The Lady Rebels moved to 11-7 overall and 2-0 in district, looking every bit like a contender in the race for the District Championship.

The offense clicked all night behind Berkley Harper, who powered down 14 kills from the outside. Setter Addison Merrell ran the show with 28 assists, keeping Caprock’s defense on its heels. On the back row, Bennet Berryman anchored the defense with 17 digs, consistently keeping rallies alive and turning defense into offense.

Caprock fought to stay in the match, especially in the third set, but Tascosa’s balance across the floor proved too much.

Bushland vs Dumas

Bushland went on the road and came away with a sweep over Dumas (25-16, 25-19, 25-16), but the Lady Demons showed grit throughout the match.

Dumas had bright spots on both sides of the ball. Demi Bitonel led the offense with 6 kills while also protecting the net with 4.5 blocks. Alang Makuei chipped in 5 kills and 3 blocks to provide balance at the net. Setter Sophie Clements finished with 14 assists to keep the offense in rhythm.

Defensively, Gabi Holt and Gabby Alvarez each recorded 7 digs, while Suzette Reyes added 5. At the service line, Haley Winegarner picked up 2 aces to help Dumas stay within striking distance.