The Herald-Zeitung

SEGUIN — New Braunfels senior Jen Meyer couldn’t hold back her emotions on Tuesday night, after watching her Unicorn teammates play with the kind of passion she’s been accustomed to during her tenure.

“I told the girls to come out and have fun,” Myer said.

And fun is just what the Unicorns came out with in the third set.

After losing the first two games by a score of 25-14, the Unicorns showed the desire and to leave everything out on the court, as they battled heavily favored Austin Westlake point-for-point in game three.

But in the end, the Chaparrals had too much firepower and defeated the Unicorns 25-14, 25-14, 25-20 in the Class 5A Region IV bi-district playoffs at Seguin High School.

Myer, who battled back from an ACL injury last spring, was a huge spark for New Braunfels, as the senior routinely found the seam in the Westlake defense to help the Unicorns win several long rallies in that final set.

“I worked so hard to get back on the court this year,” Myer said. “As a senior, I wanted to give it my all.

“I love my teammates and we’ve been through a lot together over the years. But I’m ready for the next step.”

Myer has committed to play volleyball for the Belmont Bruins in Nashville next year. She finished with four kills and 17 digs for Unicorns, who finish with a 23-20 record.

Angela Lowak led the attack with eight kills, Jenna Gullick added 15 assists and Demi Payne had two aces and 21⁄2 blocks for New Braunfels, who earned the respect of the powerhouse Westlake squad.

“New Braunfels showed the character of their team during that third game,” Westlake coach Al Bennett said. “We took a 14-9 lead and they made a run and then we took another lead and they made another run.

“I know a lot of these girls and they fought hard until the end.”

The Unicorns found themselves down 8-3 in that third game, but Lowak had a pair of kills that sparked a 6-1 run that tied the game at 9-9 and forced Westlake to call a time-out.

After the Chaparrals took a 14-9 lead, a pair of kills by Myer and a pretty block by Breanne Schultz helped New Braunfels tie the game at 18-18 and the Unicorn crowd was on their feet cheering for their team.

But Westlake ended New Braunfels’ season on a 7-2 run and advanced to the area playoffs against either San Antonio Brandeis or Corpus Christi Carroll.

Unicorn coach Phyllis Fowler was proud of her team’s play and their “never give up” attitude that they finished the season with.

“They didn’t go away like so many other teams might have (being down 2-0),” Fowler said. “Westlake was a little overpowering and we didn’t pass/serve very well tonight and that sets up your whole offense.

“Westlake has a really good team and it was hard for us to get into a rhythm offensively against them.”

Sara Shaw finished with 20 kills, Paige Caridi had seven kills to lead the Chaparrals, who improve to 34-6 on the season, and libero Tessa Hunt chipped in with 21 digs in the playoff win.