Behind two games to none, the Waltrip volleyball team fought its way back into their area playoff match with Huntsville Monday night at the Campbell Center. But the Hornets’ superior height and rally-killer Kim Black proved too strong as Huntsville defeated the Rams, 25-8, 25-12, 25-14, to move on to the Region III 4-A quarterfinals.

Black had 13 kills for the night, and she and her Huntsville teammates threw up a wall at the net that stymied the Waltrip offense throughout the match.

Huntsville (24-11), which finished third in District 18-4A, advances into a likely second-round match with district champion Brenham.

Days of hard practices, a scrambling defense, and a never-say-die determination just weren’t enough for the Rams (15-5) to counteract Black’s firepower, the blocks of Tayler Gray and Chelsea Baker or their own errors. Some of Waltrip’s errors could be attributed to the fact that, since the Rams couldn’t find a way through Huntsville’s defensive wall, they were forced to go over it, thus sending a number of spikes and over-the-net sets out of bounds.

In the first two sets, Huntsville built early leads and coasted, but Waltrip rallied in the third set. Down by eight, the Rams pulled to within two midway through the contest on a service ace by Rebecca Traylor as it was the stunned Hornets’ turn to scramble. Without Black on the front line, the Hornets fell prey to the spikes of Ashley Kerl and Courtney Martinez, the blocks of Pam Straker and Traylor, and the tough serves of Amanda Moran.

But it wasn’t meant to be as Black and teammates Sara Vaughn, Ishara McAdams and Baker, who had seven kills on the night for the Hornets, regained control and pulled away, allowing Waltrip just one point the rest of the game.

“I thought they did a pretty good job,” Waltrip coach Darcy Ruffino said of her squad. “We’re a short team. ...

“I feel sad for the seniors. I just want our girls to know how much the school is behind them.”

As proof, she pointed out that although there are only 12 girls on the varsity team, the Lady Rams sold 47 shirts commemorating this year’s playoff appearance, more than they’ve sold in previous years.

Still, it was a bitter pill for the seniors, several of whom were in tears after the final match of their high school career.

Martinez, who returns to the Rams in 2008, had four kills. Traylor had three, while Moran and Kerl had two each.

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