Published: November 08, 2009 12:21 am      

Commerce defeats Kennedale in Area playoffs

GARLAND —The 10th-ranked Commerce Lady Tigers knocked off the Kennedale Lady Wildcats 25-21, 26-24, 23-25, 25-18 in an area volleyball playoff game played at Sachse High School Saturday night.

The 38-5 Lady Tigers advanced to play Argyle on Monday at 7 p.m. in Princeton in a regional quarterfinal battle.

“We didn’t start off good but we finished good, and that’s what counts,” Commerce coach Kelsey Hall said. “This was our first game in 11 days and we had a lot of cobwebs. Each game we knocked a few more cobwebs off. I’m proud of the way everyone played.”

After trailing 16-15, the Lady Tigers broke open the first game with a kill from Kayla Clark to tie the game, an ace from Chaney Moreland and a pair of kills from Raven Massey that gave Commerce a 19-16 lead. Danielle Essix carried the load down the stretch getting a block, a kill and then an ace on a game-point serve for the 25-21 win.

Massey put away four straight kills to build a 20-14 Commerce lead in the second match but the Lady Cats rallied to tie the game at 24-24 prompting a Commerce time-out. Clark knocked home a point to give Commerce another game point, and this time Essix pounded home the game winner.

Kennedale, with their backs against the wall, came out firing a built a 9-3 lead. The Tigers stormed back and tied the game at 22-22, and again at 23-23 but couldn’t pull off the comeback.

Commerce again came out in a deficit falling behind 7-4 but Essix and Massey punched home kills, Teal Martin served up an ace and Essix got another kill to put the Lady Tigers ahead. The teams traded points up to 16-16 and then Commerce’s big hammers started pounding the ball with Essix, Massey and Clark drilling kills, a huge block from Kaci Harrison that put Commerce ahead 21-17. The Lady Tigers kept up the heat in rolling to the 25-18 win.