Heartbreaking.

A golden opportunity to snatch District 12-5A's final playoff berth gone awry.

Any of those descriptions fit Temple's 19-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-13 loss to Copperas Cove on Tuesday night.

The Tem-Cats won the first two games, then were three points away from victory on two occasions, but the Lady Bulldawgs spoiled the party and an outstanding performance by Temple's Loryn Goodwin in the home finale at Wildcat Gym.

The good news is the Tem-Cats' playoff hopes still are alive thanks to league champion College Station A&M Consolidated's easy sweep of Bryan. That sets up a one-game district playoff between Temple (21-16 overall, 8-6 12-5A) and Bryan (17-17, 8-6) to determine 12-5A's fourth and final berth likely to be played Friday or Saturday at a site to be determined.

What stings, though, is that the Tem-Cats, who beat Bryan last Friday in five games, could have avoided that do-or-die scenario on Tuesday.

"We showed up ready to play and I knew we would," Temple coach Susie Hughlett said. "The kids wanted to win. They had a few mental lapses but they showed the character that I knew they had all year long to come back and play hard."

Because of losses by Temple and Bryan, Belton (15-23, 9-5) clinched third place with its sweep over last-place Killeen Shoemaker on Tuesday. Whoever earns the final spot likely will face DeSoto or North Mesquite in a Class 5A bi-district match next week.

Sophomore Goodwin had 22 kills, including eight in a pressure-packed Game 5, along with 12 digs and three blocks.

cmeister@temple-telegram.com