By Tim Waits via Temple Daily Telegram--

The district-opening volleyball match may not seem like the ideal time to roll out a new rotation, but it worked out well for the Lake Belton Lady Broncos.

With strong performances from several players, Lake Belton swept Belton 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 Friday night at Bronco Gym as both teams started District 16-5A play.

“We did really well with different players at different spots,” Lady Broncos junior setter Madi Bingham said. “A lot of the points they got were from our mistakes, but we came together as a team.”

Belton made Lake work for the victory.

“I was proud of the girls and their mental toughness,” Belton head coach Haleigh Evans, said. “We put up a good fight.”

Indeed, it was the Lady Tigers (17-15) who set the early pace in the opening set by jumping out to a 6-2 lead with points from Annabella Pula and Landry Duggan.

The Lady Broncos (24-9) stormed back to tie it and eventually take the lead. Middle hitter McKenna Johnston put down a pair of kills and a block to help start a 14-3 run. Bingham had back-to-back kills to put Lake Belton up 17-9.

Lake’s Kaitlyn Hutchins put away a spike, and aces from Johnston and Bingham plus a block and kill from middle Ava Wood helped close out the opening set.

“Belton came out very scrappy and challenged us,” Lake Belton head coach Allison Waits said. “I was proud of the way our girls were stepping into new roles.”

The newest was freshman outside hitter Madilyn Jackman, who provided six kills in a contested second set. Lake Belton went on a 5-1 run propelled by two Hutchins kills and an ace, two kills from Morgan Kukulski and a Jackman spike. The Lady Broncos got some separation at 15-9 after a 5-1 spurt that included points from Johnston, Jackman and Hutchins.

The Lady Tigers hung around, though, and were still within one of the Lady Broncos at 20-19, paced by kills from Macyen Doskocil and Mamu Pula. Lake Belton put away five of the last six points, with Jackman posting three straight kills and closing out the set on a smash from Johnston.

The final set remained uncertain through much of it as the Lady Tigers were within 19-16. The Lady Broncos then reeled off the last six points, with three definitive kills from Hutchins, a Keileigh Krueger ace and a final block by Johnston.

“We did real well adapting to each other,” Hutchins said. “I’m proud of the way we stepped up as a team. I’m excited about district.”

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Here are some highlights from the match!
Madi Bingham: 36 assists, 13 digs
Kaitlyn Hutchins: 15 kills
Hanna Ward: 11 digs
Ava Wood: 8 kills, 5 blocks
MyKenna Johnston: 8 kills, 2 blocks
Madilyn Jackman: 7 kills