The Yorktown Kitty Kats battled back from a slow start to defeat the Kenedy Leopards in four sets, winning 25–23, 20–25, 25–13, 26–24.
After falling behind 0–2 early in the opening set, the Kitty Kats regrouped with strong net play. Gracie Stehling sparked the rally with a powerful kill, and Hayle Russell followed with a score off an overpass. Stehling added two more kills to give Yorktown a 4–2 lead before a missed serve broke the momentum briefly.
Kenedy answered with a point, but Stehling responded with an ace to keep the Kats ahead. A kill from Claire Person forced Kenedy to call timeout as Yorktown extended its lead to 9–4. Avery Martin then delivered back-to-back kills, including assists from Palyn Koopmann, to help the Kats maintain control.
Stehling and Koopmann combined for a crucial block that pushed the lead to 15– 11, and Russell’s outside hit extended the advantage further. Koopmann added an ace to make it 18–13 before a few unforced errors tightened the score.
With Kenedy gaining ground, Carly Weischwill steadied the team by tooling a hit off the block for a key point. After a long rally, Russell’s dig and Koopmann’s quick set to Martin gave the Kats another kill. Koopmann then caught the Leopards off guard with a well-placed dump to reach set point, and a push to the open court by Stehling sealed the 25–23 win.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with the score tied at 17, 18, and 19 before Kenedy pulled ahead to take it 25–20.
Yorktown regrouped quickly in the third, dominating from start to finish. Strong serving and balanced offense allowed the Kats to cruise to a 25–13 victory.
The fourth set mirrored the second, with both teams trading points and neither giving an inch. This time, however, Yorktown held firm. A late surge led by Stehling and Martin pushed the Kats over the top, clinching the set 26–24 and the match win.
Brayden Knostman rushes into the endzone to score against the Trojans.
