Cypress Woods won its first two matches in the Cy-Fair ISD tournament Thursday at Cypress Creek, sweeping both Atascocita and Klein Oak.

The Wildcats made quick work of the Eagles, winning 25-18 and 25-11. Then against the Panthers, Cy Woods had big rallies in each of their games to win 25-13 and 25-20.

“One of my big hitters had pink eye, so we put in one of our freshmen who has practiced with us the last week, and we are really proud of her,” Cy Woods coach Ashley Ahlifinger said. “This is a great group of kids. They’re very team-oriented and have a good time out there.”

The Wildcats also relied on strong hitting from its young group of outside hitters, like Daniela Arenas, Alex Schnieder and setter Caleigh McCorquodale. Middle blocker Crystal Jozwiak was also dominant, blocking several shots against Atascocita.

Against Klein Oak, the Wildcats got big kills from Arenas and Schnieder to spark an 8-0 run at the end of the first game to win 25-13.

The Panthers responded in the second game thanks to a couple of kills and an ace from outside hitter Megan Schwartz to trail Cy Woods 19-18. But the Wildcats got another big kill from Schnieder, another one from Arenas, and a double hit by Oak to seal the win.

Cy Woods, which is in its second varsity season, is one of the favorites to win District 15-5A, which includes 2007 state semifinalist Cy-Fair. But Ahlifinger feels her team has the right attitude, whether it’s on the court or in the classroom.

“The most important thing that we do is getting things right in life,” she said. “From character to academics and all those kind of things, the winning kind of takes care of itself.”

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