They are two teams that are very similar.

Both are basically young teams and both were playing winning volleyball towards the end of the season.

The difference, however, is what starts tonight.

San Marcos will take on Magnolia tonight in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs at 6 p.m. at Bryan High School. It’s a round San Marcos has struggled to overcome, while the Lady Bulldogs are a team that traditionally goes deep into the playoffs and even advanced to the Final Four in 2008.

Respect from last season’s run and the team’s 28-13-1 overall record are reasons why the Lady Bulldogs are ranked No. 21 in Class 4A by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.

Magnolia is on four-game win streak with its last two matches being sweeps over Huntsville and Willis. The Lady Bulldogs have won 10 out of their last 12 games, the two losses being five-setters against No. 7 Brenham and 11th ranked Montgomery.

Junior outside hitter (5-10) Katzy Randall leads the offense with 533 kills (4.5 per game) and a hitting percentage of 28.6 percent. Courtney Felinski, a 6-0 junior, is second on the team with 519 kills and a 26.5 hitting percentage.

Behind the line, junior Paige Holland (5-10) leads the team with 64 aces, followed by 41 for Felinski.

Defensively, six-foot, two-inch freshman middle blocker Kylie Randall leads the team with 51 blocks up front, followed by 41 for junior Caitlyn Odom, 31 from Holland and 30 from Felinski,

Katzy Randall the team’s top back-court defender with 432 digs this season, followed by Holland with 302.

Holland guides the team at setter with 1,139 assists this season and only one error.

San Marcos enters tonight’s match unranked and is the underdog, but the Lady Rattlers have been playing extremely well lately.

The team ended District 17-4A play with a 10-game win streak to claim second place and just recently had that win streak snapped last weekend with a 3-0 loss to Seguin in a warm-game.

San Marcos brings a 27-10 record into tonight’s match.

Junior outside hitter Maggie Breed leads the SMHS offense with 203 kills and has a 21.8 hitting percentage, sophomore middle blocker while Delaney Hearne has 180 kills and a 27.5 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Jordan Carswell is third on the team with 115 kills and a 28.5 hitting percentage and also leads the team with 62 aces. Sophomore Ally Bryant has 48 aces.

Hearne is the top defender up front with 45 blocks, but gets plenty of help from Gina Misiaszek, who has 42 blocks this season.

Junior libero Birdie Schneider leads the Lady Rattlers’ back-court defense with 229 digs.

Junior setter Ali Gonzles and Carswell share time at setter. Gonzales has 296 assists, while Carswell has 286.



Hays falls to Montgomery

COLUMBUS — When San Marcos and Hays jostled for position in District 17-4A, it was for one reason: To get a better seed in the Region III, Class 4A playoffs.

Neither team wanted to play Montgomery (the 11th-ranked team in the state) and only the Lady Rattlers would admit it.

Hays won the right to play the Lady Bears and fell in four sets (25-20, 18-25, 23-25 and 21-25).

The Lady Rebels were led by Krista Koopman who racked up 18 kills, four aces and three blocks.

Melisa Butler had 33 assists for Hays and Sarah Reyes notched 23 digs.