Carroll downs Miller, moves toward district title

By Lee Goddard
Caller-Times

At the beginning of the volleyball season, the Carroll High School team set its sights on unexplored turf for a Corpus Christi Independent School District squad - the third round of the state playoffs.
   The Tigers aren't there yet, but following Tuesday night's District 29-5A victory over defending district-champ Miller, Carroll may have taken a huge step toward realizing that goal.
   The 15-11, 15-3 defeat of the Buccaneers sets Carroll in control of the race for district champion. And accompanying district-title status is a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Carroll moves to 11-1 in district play, while Miller, which has also clinched a playoff spot is 9-3. King, another 29-5A team that has secured a playoff spot in 29-5A, was 9-2 entering last night's match with Edinburg.
   Grabbing a bye week in the playoffs would be huge for any of the three CCISD teams as, in three seasons of varsity volleyball, a CCISD team has never won a playoff match. But with two remaining district matches, the Tigers have the district title within their grasp.
   "It's in our grasp," Carroll coach Linda Lindsey said of the title and the bye. "The thing we have to focus on is we have two more matches to win. It's going to be difficult for us not to look ahead. But we're that close to being district champs, and we're not giving up and we'll keep working hard."
   The hard work paid off against the Bucs. In the first game, Carroll shook off Miller, scoring the final four points of the game and grabbing the win.
   While game one was back-and-forth, the second game belonged to the Tigers. Carroll rattled off 11 unanswered points to take game two and the match.
   "We got a little flustered. I think our confidence came down," Miller coach Jennifer Woods said. "We were on fire in the first game, but in the second game we became unfocused a little."
   While the Bucs received a dynamic effort from Clatisha Clay, who had nine kills and a pair of blocks, Carroll benefited from the all-around play of Jackie Choi. The junior had seven kills - six in the key first game - and three aces and three assists.
   "She hits the ball well. She sets the ball well," Lindsey said of Choi. "She is really going to make Carroll proud in the long run."