Lady Titans fall to Booker T. Washington at state volleyball
Eden Schroeder hits at the net against Booker T. Washington. Photo by Jeff Harrison
By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon
MOORE – Carl Albert’s volleyball team was back at the Class 5A state tournament last week.
But it didn’t last as long as they hoped.
The Lady Titans saw their season end Thursday afternoon with a 3-0 (25-10, 25-13, 25-13) loss to Booker T. Washington in the state quarterfinals at Moore High School.
After dropping the first set 25-10, Carl Albert held their own for much of the second set. Eden Schroeder scored a block to even the set at 11-11, sparking a timeout by the Lady Hornets. That allowed Washington to regroup. They outscored Carl Albert 14-2 the rest of the way for the 25-13 win.
The Lady Titans fell behind early in the third and never recovered. Stoeser scored a kill at match point. On the next point, Arriana Brown spiked the ball for the 25-13 win.
“We have been a mentally strong team this year and we’ve usually been able to hold it together,” said coach Tabitha McCray. “I think the pressure of everything just crashed down on them.”
Brown, a UNLV commit, was a force for the Lady Hornets.
“We needed a bigger block and some things that really couldn’t put together against her,” McCray said.
Carl Albert finished the season with a 20-10 record and advanced to state for the fifth time in the past six years. The team bounced back after going 7-21 in 2023.
“I think they had a lot of growth in the season,” McCray said. “No one expected us to even be in the state tournament after last year. I think we’ve been underdogs all year. And being in the top eight shows their grit and how much they’ve grown. And I’m super proud of them.”
It was the final game for seniors Kristin Stoeser, Evi Mitchell, Brooklyn Carpenter, Eden Schroeder and Kailey Stuart.
Caitlyn Mabie digs the ball against Booker T. Washington. Photo by Jeff Harrison
