The Lady Tigers outlasted the Tem-Cats, surviving a late charge that nearly forced a fifth game, to win 25-14, 22-25, 25-13, 28-26 on Tuesday night at Wildcat Gym.
Belton (17-10 overall, 6-2 District 12-5A), which hadn’t beaten Temple (17-20, 3-5) since 2004 before last season, has won four straight matches in the series.
The Lady Tigers swept the Tem-Cats earlier this season.
“I’m really, really proud of my team right now,” Belton first-year coach Justeen Patton said. “I see things where we’ve grown so much as a team. I’m proud of them and the strides we’re making.”
For Temple, which rallied from three points down late in the fourth game but couldn’t convert on two game points, coach Susie Hughlett said she couldn’t ask for anything more.
“That was probably the best match we’ve played,” she said. “Nothing was perfect, of course, but . . . my kids don’t quit. The thing I asked them to do no matter what was leave it on the court. I feel extremely proud of them because that’s exactly what they did.”
Temple jumped out to a fast start in the first game, reeling off the first five points en route to an 6-1 lead.
But the Lady Tigers, led by outside hitters Becca Owen and Grace Weaver, took over from there.
Owen served up seven straight points, including two aces as Belton turned a five-point deficit into a 8-6 lead. Weaver chipped in one of her 14 kills. Owen, who led the Lady Tigers in kills in the earlier win over Temple, had a team-high 17 kills.
Two points was as close as Temple would get from there and Belton took the first game 25-14.
Thanks to five Belton service errors in the second game, the Tem-Cats were able to hang around. Temple jumped out to a 10-5 lead behind three of senior Jordan Pickett’s team-high 12 kills.
The Tem-Cats pushed their advantage to 19-12 and held off a late Belton charge for a 25-22 victory.
“They’re a good team - they started to come back and do what they needed to do,” Hughlett said of Belton. “We just kept fighting like we always do and managed to pull through. I don’t think that would have happened without that quick little start in the beginning.”
In the third game, it was Belton that jumped out to the quick lead thanks to several powerful kills by Owen. A 25-13 win put the Lady Tigers one more victory from a season sweep of the Tem-Cats.
Belton once again jumped out to an early lead, taking a seven-point advantage late in the match. But the Lady Tigers had trouble putting the Tem-Cats away.
The Lady Tigers led 20-14, needing five more points to clinch the match. But Temple went on a 12-2 run, helped by Belton errors along with kills by Pickett and senior Patti Kabobel.
Temple had two chances at game point, leading 24-22 and 24-23, but couldn’t convert.
“A couple plays here or there and we could have gone to Game 5,” Hughlett said.
Instead, Belton took advantage of two Temple errors to close out the match.
Belton’s Tilatha Akins had a team-leading nine blocks, four aces and 13 digs, and teammate Myca San Miguel added a team-high 37 assists.
Along with leading the Tem-Cats in kills, Pickett also had four blocks. Ashley Schlieper had a team-high 14 assists and teammate Lauren Mann had 27 digs. Kabobel had three aces.
The Lady Tigers take a four-match winning streak into a tough test Friday night at College Station A&M Consolidated. Belton was swept by Consol earlier this season.
Temple will visit Killeen Ellison on Friday night.
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
