McKINNEY — The Bishop Lynch volleyball team wrapped up its final regular-season tournament with a 4-2 record over two days to finish fifth at the Arete Cup. The Friars earned victories over Ovilla Christian, Frisco Emerson, Frisco Independence, and Rock Hill while advancing to the tournament's Gold Bracket.
Bishop Lynch opened the tournament with back-to-back victories before a narrow loss to eventual tournament champion Rockwall-Heath. The Friars responded with a three-set win over Independence to secure their place in Saturday's Gold Bracket, where they added another victory over Rock Hill before falling to Rockwall in the fifth-place match.
The Friars had standout performances throughout the tournament from Maia Raleigh and Camila Figueroa. Raleigh recorded three double-doubles, bringing her season total to five, while averaging 21.3 assists and 8.0 digs per match. The senior setter also recorded a season-high seven aces against Rock Hill.
Figueroa recorded her second double-double of the season against Independence, finishing with 10 kills and 11 digs. She averaged 8.3 kills and 9.3 digs per match during the tournament and was also strong from the service line, recording six aces on 71 serves with a 95.8% serving percentage.
BISHOP LYNCH TOURNAMENT LEADERS
» Kills: Kylie Love, 56
» Assists: Maia Raleigh, 128
» Digs: Camila Figueroa, 56
» Blocks: Kate Heffernan, 9
» Hitting Percentage: Charlie Wells, .317
» Aces: Maia Raleigh, 16
POOL PLAY — Thursday, Aug. 27
Bishop Lynch opened the tournament in Pool 7 alongside Ovilla Christian, Frisco Emerson and Rockwall-Heath. The Friars started the day with a three-set victory over Ovilla Christian, 25-22, 23-25, 25-15, before sweeping Emerson, 25-20, 25-22.
The two victories set up a winner-take-all matchup with Heath for the top spot in the pool. Bishop Lynch battled the Hawks throughout both sets, but the eventual tournament champions came away with the 2-0 victory, 25-22, 25-23.
The loss set up a match against Independence to determine whether the Friars would advance to Saturday's Gold or Silver Bracket. Bishop Lynch responded with one of its most exciting matches of the tournament, defeating Independence in three sets, 25-13, 28-30, 25-17. The second set alone featured 58 combined points as the two teams battled deep into extra points before the Friars regrouped to take control of the deciding set and secure a spot in the Gold Bracket.
BRACKET PLAY — Saturday, Aug. 29
The Friars began bracket play bright and early at 8 a.m. against Rock Hill, a team Bishop Lynch had defeated the previous week at the Allen Texas Open. Once again, the match went the distance, but the Friars came away with another victory, 25-14, 18-25, 25-16.
The win advanced Bishop Lynch to its sixth and final match of the tournament against Rockwall. After a busy stretch that included eight matches over the course of the week, the Friars were unable to overcome the Yellowjackets, who eventually finished third in the tournament. Rockwall earned the 2-0 victory, 25-17, 25-15, as Bishop Lynch finished fifth overall.
The Friars closed their final regular-season tournament with four victories and continued to show their ability to battle through three-set matches, winning three of their four matches that went the distance. With tournament play now behind them, Bishop Lynch will turn its attention toward the final stretch of non-district competition before the start of TAPPS play.
NEXT UP
The Friars return home Tuesday, Sept. 1, to host TAPPS opponent Trinity Christian Academy. It will be Bishop Lynch's only match of the week as the Friars prepare for district play, which begins Thursday, Sept. 17, against John Paul II.
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