At the top: Franklin is at the top of District 1-6A volleyball, here's how they did it
All season long it's truly been a team effort for the Franklin volleyball team and now the team is in the driver's seat for a championship in District 1-6A.
On Tuesday against Westside rival Coronado, the Cougars avenged their only loss in District 1-6A with a 21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-14 home win that left them as the only team in the district with one loss and an 8-1 mark. Coronado, Eastlake and Eastwood are all a game back. The Cougars have won eight straight matches.
The team effort was in play Tuesday. Victoria Bailey had 12 kills, Jocelyn Ornelas added 13 kills and 18 digs, Jordan Imperial chipped in with 13 kills and 15 digs, Hannah Finn had 32 assists, Lauren Shelley had 23 digs and Ireanna Carrasco played well on defense at key times.
"We lost that first district game against Coronado, but we came back and corrected some things and have been playing well ever since then in district," Shelley said. "But I believe when the season started, we felt we could have a really special season. There is still work to do and we have to keep moving forward."
Coronado came out strong and took the first set from the Cougars, but the team settled down and played relaxed as the team has all season long.
"We didn't panic," Bailey said. "We just settled down and so many people contributed to the win. We have a tight bond on this team and as the season has gone on, we've become closer and we know we have to continue to be that way to win a district title."
In a competitive district, which also features an Americas team that has shown flashes of excellence, Franklin coach Sylvia Sandoval said she knows her team has to take it one match at a time.
"Our team fights so hard," she said. "We don't have a lot of size, but we play smart, we play with intelligence and we have a strong chemistry. It was a big win for us against Coronado. It was a match that was tough, both teams showed so much hustle on the court. We have been improving and our effort has been strong all season long."
Tuesday's other stars
Coronado's Alina Strickler had 14 kills and 28 digs in loss to Franklin.
Del Valle's Daniela Ramirez had 10 kills and seven blocks in a five-set win against Hanks.
Chapin's Kassandra Carlos had 12 kills, 24 digs and an ace in win against Canutillo.
Hanks' Alexa Heck had 20 kills, 23 digs and 2 aces in five-set loss to Del Valle.
Eastwood's Lexi de Vries had 29 assists, 17 digs, 2 kills and 3 aces for Eastwood in win at Pebble Hills.
Americas' Isabella Nunez had 22 kills, 12 assists and 2 digs in win against Montwood.
Ysleta's Mia Espinoza had 30 assists, 5 kills and 9 digs for Ysleta in win against Horizon.
Fabens' Violet Flores had 17 kills, 21 assists, 5 aces in win against Mountain View.
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Balanced effort key to Franklin High School volleyball's success
