WAXAHACHIE, Texas – The Lindsey Wilson volleyball team resumed its 2025 schedule on Friday afternoon in the Texas Two Step Tournament. The Blue Raiders battled nationally-ranked McPherson (Kan.) before bouncing back to take down Louisiana Chrisitan.
Ola Wyrzykowska totaled a team-high 29 kills and was aided on offense by
Petra Fernandez Garcia's 22 kills and
Ana Clara Beltran Sacca's 21.
Luiza Gonçalves finished with 76 assists on the day to move her to 1,959 for her career, and
Momo Hampton controlled Lindsey Wilson's backline defense with 36 digs.
Match One: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 2, #11 McPherson (Kan.) 3
Wyrzkowska, Fernandez Garcia, and Sacca each hit for double-digit kills as the Blue Raiders started hot but fell short to the 11
th-ranked Bulldogs. The latter of the three attackers put down a 0.500 hitting percentage with 13 kills, six digs, and five blocks. Wyrzykowska and Fernandez Garcia both contributed two services aces and 15 and 14 kills, respectively.
Gonçalves passed out 45 assists and added eight digs, six kills, and three blocks.
Lindsey Wilson hit 0.288 as a team, finishing 0.300 or better in three of the matches' five sets.
The Blue Raiders displayed clinical accuracy in the first set, hitting 0.519 and recording only one attack error. Against her former team, Fernandez Garcia outpaced everyone on the floor with five kills. Lindsey Wilson led 15-14 following a McPherson kill, then a Bulldog service error and two aces by Wyrzykowska sent the Blue Raiders off on an 8-0 run to a 25-17 set win.
McPherson cleaned up in the second and third sets to hit 0.393 and take a 2-1 lead in the match with 25-18 and 25-16 set scores.
In the fourth, the Blue Raiders took advantage of McPherson's mistakes while limiting their own. The Bulldogs committed eight attack errors and seven service miscues, helping to push Lindsey Wilson's lead to as many as nine points. Up 22-13, the Blue Raiders fell into some trouble and gave up a four-point Bulldog swing. After a timeout, Sacca delivered a crucial kill then combined with Gonçalves for a combo block and Lindsey Wilson held on to take the frame 25-19.
McPherson grabbed the early 3-2 advantage in the tiebreaker. A successful attack by Fernandez Garcia and an ace by Gonçalves turned it around and opened a 5-1 Blue Raider rally. The Bulldogs later returned the favor and knotted the score at 11-11, ultimately outscoring Lindsey Wilson 5-3 to clinch the set 16-14, and the match.
Match Two: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 3, Louisiana Christian 1
Lindsey Wilson spread the wealth around in its second match of the day. Seven different players tallied at least five kills off 45 combined assists from Gonçalves and
Rylee Springer. Wyrzkowska led the way with 14 kills on a solid 0.344 attack percentage. Sacca and Fernandez Garcia followed with eight, apiece, and freshman
Brooke Robinson posted seven kills.
Hana Kisa and
Layla HuYoung made up half of the Blue Raiders' dozen service aces, contributing three, each.
Tied at 6-6 in the first set,
Marija Raonic turned a passed from Gonçalves into a kill that sparked a 10-2 run for Lindsey Wilson. The Wildcats were held to an even-percent attack percentage as the Blue Raiders scored five of the last six points of the set to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
All three of Kisa's service aces came as part of a six-point start for the Blue Raiders in the second frame. A strong 0.400 hitting percentage throughout the set and five kills from Wyrzykowska carried Lindsey Wilson. The Wildcats pieced together a few late points, but a front row kill by Gonçalves and a joint block from Sacca and
Sofija Pjevic sealed the set for the Blue Raiders 25-16.
Robinson hit 0.385 with seven kills in the third set. She ended up finishing off half of Springer's 14 assists. Despite the positive play from Lindsey Wilson's freshmen, Louisiana Christian never faded away and even fended off five Blue Raider match points to force a fourth set.
In the fourth, the Blue Raiders went ahead 11-5 after back-to-back kills by Wyrzykowska. The Wildcats, however, countered with a 7-0 run to take a 12-11 lead. Kills from Gonçalves and Sacca kick started a quick response for Lindsey Wilson, and it began a 7-3 shift to put the Blue Raiders back in front for good en route to a 25-19 set victory.
Lindsey Wilson travels to Fort Worth, Texas to continue the Texas Two Step Tournament at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday, August 30 against Rochester Christian.
