By Tim Waits/ Temple Daily Telegram
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In a match for the early supremacy of the District 15-5A volleyball standings, it was the Killeen Chaparral Lady Bobcats who went the distance to sit at the top.

Chaparral outlasted Lake Belton in an arduous five sets 22-25, 25-20, 27-25, 15-25, 15-11 on Tuesday night at Bronco Gym.

The Lady Bobcats (17-12) are unblemished through four district matches, while the Lady Broncos (26-10) slipped to 3-1 in league play.

Lake Belton appeared to wrest control from Chaparral with a convincing fourth-set victory to force the fifth. Kills by Ava Wood, Gabby Jones and Madi Bingham closed out the fourth.

However, the Lady Bobcats responded from the outset of the fifth by jumping out to a quick 7-2 lead behind the force of multiple kills and blocks from Kemani Washington and Mikayla Gray. A trio of Kaitlyn Hutchins spikes got Lake back within two at 7-5, but Chaparral cranked out five straight points — led by Madison Edwards and Gray — to open a 12-5 advantage.

Bailey Thompson put the Lady Bobcats on the brink of victory at 14-8. The Lady Broncos turned away three match points on a Jones attack and two Chaparral errors, but Thompson found an open corner to close out the match.

In the opening set, Lake went on an 8-1 run as Wood, Jones and Hutchins came through with kills along with a Hutchins ace to build a 15-9 lead. Chaparral closed the gap, but Hutchins put away a Bingham set to end it.

Jeish Reyes and Gray paced the Lady Bobcats’ effort down the stretch of the second set to even the match.

The third set saw both teams go on long streaks. Lake went up 14-10 with five consecutive points, only to be answered by Chaparral’s six straight.

The Lady Broncos had set point twice but couldn’t close it out. A Washington kill and an ace from Alondra Rosario-Cartagena ended it for the Lady Bobcats.

Lake Belton will close out the first half of district play Friday at Waco University, while Chaparral takes on Killeen Ellison.