Temple Daily Telegram
By Tim Waits--
Lake Belton knew it faced one of the state’s best volleyball squads when it took on Dallas Highland Park.

The Lady Broncos put up a fight but it wasn’t enough as their season ended in a Class 5A Division I Region II semifinal for the second straight year when Lake fell to the Scots 25-12, 25-16, 25-23 on Thursday.

“We knew how good they were, but you don’t really know it until you see it,” Lake Belton coach Allison Waits said. “There’s only so much implementing you can do.”

The Scots (40-8), who posted their 18th straight victory and are loaded with height and major Division I commitments, overmatched the Lady Broncos (31-13) throughout the first two sets before Lake got its bearings to take a lead deep into the third set.
Highland Park jumped out to a 10-5 advantage in the third in search of a sweep. The Lady Broncos answered with four straight points on kills from Madi Bingham, Ava Wood and Madi Jackman to go with a Kaitlyn Hutchins ace. The remainder of the match was a toe-to-toe affair.

“I think once our defense improved, we were able to get our offense going,” said Bingham, a senior setter who finished her career as the Lady Broncos’ all-time leader in assists. “Our energy kept us in it and we left it all on the court.”

Lake Belton eventually tied the match at 14 on a Morgan Kulkulski kill. The Lady Broncos tied it again at 16 on a Hutchins kill off the net cord and took their first lead on a Keileigh Krueger ace.

The lead changed hands twice more with the help of a block from Wood. Lake Belton went up 21-20 on an errant Scots serve and extended it to 23-20 on a Haylee Kasner ace and Jackman kill.

However, the Scots answered with the final five points, capped by a block from 6-foot-3 right side Sarah Floyd.

“We fought really hard against a good team,” said Hutchins, the Broncos’ all-time leader in kills who will next play for Northern Colorado. “We didn’t quit and I’m just so happy we did what we did.”

From the outset, though, the Lady Broncos had trouble with service receptions and fell behind 8-0. They scratched together a dozen points but were well out of contention.

Lake Belton took a brief 6-5 lead in the second set only to see Highland Park reel off seven straight on the southpaw Floyd’s service, and the Lady Broncos couldn’t challenge the Scots’ lead.

It was an emotional end for the Lady Broncos, who swept through District 16-5A and carried a 13-match winning streak into their finale.

“This team is a family and I couldn’t do anything without this team,” Hutchins said. “Coach Waits helped me grow as a person.”

Waits completed her third season at Lake’s helm.

“Our girls can walk out with their heads up,” she said. “I know they wanted to get past the third round because they hadn’t done that. At this point, they can look back and see what they did and all they are capable of doing.”