Lady Titans sweep regional, return to state tournament
Carl Albert defeated Shawnee and McAlester to win a regional title on Oct. 13. Photo by Stacey Boyer
By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon
Every team strives to play consistently.
After some struggles earlier in the season, Carl Albert’s volleyball team has found its rhythm in the final weeks.
The Lady Titans (22-11) swept through their home regional tournament last week to advance to the Class 5A state tournament.
Carl Albert beat McAlester, 25-15, 25-6, 25-10, in the first round and topped Shawnee in the finals, 25-21, 25-12, 25-16 — avenging a loss earlier this season.
Coach Tabitha McCray said her team checked off another major goal.
“I think every season is to reach the highest point, which is state, and that starts with hosting and winning regionals. So that has been their goal since day one,” she said.
The Lady Titans elevated their play with a pair of sweeps. Zoey Vinyard delivered three match-winning points during the regional on Oct. 13.
“It really boosted the girls’ confidence and made us coaches proud of them not dropping a set all night,” McCray said.
Carl Albert has qualified for state two consecutive years and six of the last seven.
The Class 5A state tournament is set for Oct. 23-25 at Catoosa and Verdigris High Schools. Carl Albert will face defending state champion Mount St. Mary in the first round at 11:15 a.m. Thursday at Catoosa. The winner will play OCS or Claremore Friday at Verdigris. The 5A championship match is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.
The 5A state field includes top-seeded Bishop McGuinness, Lawton MacArthur, Booker T. Washington, Altus, OCS, Claremore, Mount St. Mary and Carl Albert.
Carl Albert is 2-2 against state tournament teams this season, with wins over MacArthur and losses to Claremore and OCS.
“Our expectations for state is to level up from regionals and hold our own against some really great competition and focus on each game and continuing to move on to the next round,” McCray said.
