By DANIEL WALKER
The Commerce Lady Tigers saved their best effort for the last regular season game.
In a battle of top ten teams, the 10th-ranked Lady Tigers whipped the 9th-ranked Paris Lady Cats 25-21, 25-18, 25-19 to claim their first district title in 16 years, earn a first round playoff bye and best the Cats for the third time this season.
“The girls aren’t nervous, they are just ready to play and I think we are going to play really well,” Commerce coach Kelsey Hall said before the game.
It was Senior Night in front of a packed gym as seniors Kayla Clark, Danielle Essix, Tori Beller, Caitlin Yoakum and Stephanie Hall were honored before the game.
Clark gave the home crowd plenty to cheer as she spiked home the Lady Tigers first point in all 3 matches.
Essix slammed home a couple of points to stake the Lady Tigers to a 4-1 lead in the first set but Paris led 16-14 halfway through prompting a timeout from coach Kelsey Hall.
The Lady Tigers broke the serve on a kill by Raven Massey and then reeled off four points on the serves of Yoakum and a block by Hall to go up 19-16.
Paris regained the momentum and the lead 21-20 but Massey tied it with a monster slam followed by a block by Teal Martin that put Commerce back ahead. Essix made it game point on a service ace and then, following a lengthy volley, Massey slammed home the win 25-21.
In the second set, Clark slammed home the first point, Massey followed with a service ace and Commerce roared out to a 5-0 lead. Built that to 9-1, 17-7 and took its biggest lead at 21-10 on a slam into the corner pocket by Clark.
Massey finished off the second set just as she had the first, with a monster slam for a 25-18 win.
The Lady Tigers fell behind 3-0 in the third set before Clark put Commerce on the board with a slam.
Commerce took control midway when Kaci Harrison blocked an attempted slam. The Lady Tigers went up 18-14 and Paris could never get closer than within 4 points.
“That was a great win for us. We played a complete game and know we can look forward to the playoffs,” Hall said.
Commerce earned a first round playoff bye and their first district title since 1993.
Lady Tigers get revenge on Van Alstyne
VAN ALSTYNE — Commerce kept its district title hopes alive and avenged an earlier loss by topping Van Alstyne in four sets 25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22 Friday night.
The teams split the first two sets but then the Lady Tigers enforced their will.
In the third set, Commerce built a big lead and was never threatened despite giving up six points on service errors.
In the fourth set, the Lady Panthers broke a 16-16 tie behind the serves of University of Texas Arlington signee Emily Gentle to take a 20-16 lead. But the Lady Tigers broke the serve and then ripped off seven straight point behind the serves of Chaney Moreland, who finished with a team- high 31 serves on the night.
Van Alstyne closed to 24-22 but the Lady Tigers hung tough and finished off the Panthers.
Danielle Essix led the Lady Tigers with five blocks and 21 kills. Raven Massey had 19 kills, 19 digs, 12 serves received and 3 blocks, Kayla Clark had 10 kills and 3 blocks, Teal Martin added 5 kills, 9 digs and 2 blocks and Kaci Harrison added a block and 6 digs. Morgan Morrison had 20 digs and received 12 serves. Caitlin Yoakum had 17 assists, Moreland had 24 assists.
Around 10-3A
Van Alstyne beat Bonham 25-21, 25-22, 12-25, 22-25,15-11 to eliminate the Lady Warriors and force a tiebreaker with North Lamar.
Van Alstyne will play North Lamar in Dodd City at 5 p.m. Friday in a play-in with the winner earning the third playoff berth out of District 10-3A.
Paris finishes second in district and will play a bi-district playoff match on Tuesday against the No. 3 team from District 9-3A, either Argyle or Celina.
Commerce will learn its playoff opponent after Tuesday as the Lady Tigers have a first round bye.
3A-10 District Final Standings
District Overall
*#10 Commerce 8-2 36-5
*#9 Paris 8-2 29-7
#25 Van Alstyne 5-5 31-9
#24North Lamar 5-5 22-17
Bonham 4-6 21-18
Anna 0-10 6-29
* Clinched playoff berth
