Clear Creek has talent for deep playoff run：清澈的小溪有天赋的季后赛

Clear Creek has talent for deep playoff run：清澈的小溪有天赋的季后赛 Clear Creek has talent for deep playoff run By L. SCOTT HAINLINE CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT After finishing third behind champion Clear Lake and runner-up Pearland in an ultra-competitive District 24-5A race last season, the Clear Creek Lady Wildcats opened some eyes by going all the way to the Region III finals. “We may have even surprised ourselves a little bit,” Clear Creek coach Scott Simonds said. “Getting to the region championship has made our returning players even hungrier, and throughout the offseason, they?ve been continually chanting „State in „08.? “And these seniors really want it. They want to be the first Clear Creek team to advance to state since 1995.” The Lady Wildcats have come close, reaching the regional final four times and the regional semifinals once since 2001. “Personally, I?m a little tired of getting so close and not quite making it, and I?m ready to get to San Marcos,” Simonds said. “We?re excited that this may finally be the team to do it, and three of our returning senior starters have played in nine playoff matches in two years, and I bet there?s not another team in the state that can match that experience.” Libero Haley Jacobs, setter Becky Bekelja and outside hitter Megan Pendergast are the seniors with loads of postseason playing time that includes several clutch victories that went five games. “Jacobs has been rated as one of the top 25 liberos in the nation by volleyballprep.com, and that includes last year?s seniors,” Simonds said. “She?s considering her options at several NCAA Division I schools and could possibly sign very soon.” Pendergast, who is recovering from a broken thumb, has already signed with NCAA powerhouse Nebraska, which won a national title in 2006 and reached the elite eight last season. “That?s about as big as it gets,” Simonds said. Bekelja has signed with McNeese State and continues her comeback from a shoulder injury. “She?s going to be good to go when we start workouts in less than a month (Aug. 4), and she?ll be running our 5-1 attack,” Simonds said. “We have a few players who are coming off injuries and we?re hoping they?ll all be ready to go.” Madeline Gaffney, a 6-0 junior middle blocker, missed most of the offseason with a shoulder injury, and she?s just now coming back, according to Simonds. Clear Creek graduated four seniors off last year?s team that swept Fort Bend Travis and Cinco Ranch, and held off Deer Park and Clear Lake in five games in the playoffs. The Lady Wildcats fell to Cy-Fair in the regional final. Seniors Alexa Reed and Taylor Smith saw most of their action on the right side a year ago, but Smith, who is a shot and discus standout in track, is making a move to middle blocker. “She?s going to give us even more pop in the middle,” Simonds said. “She?s looking at different Division I offers in track and field on top of being an outstanding volleyball player.” Junior outside hitter Cherish Krohn is another varsity veteran who Simonds can depend on, and sophomore Rachel Hobaugh displayed a tremendous jump serve and other talents after moving up from the junior varsity for the playoffs. “This is definitely the most experienced team we?ve had coming back in a while, and after not even being ranked among the top 15 area teams heading into last season, they ended up second, and that means we?ll have a much-bigger target on our backs,” Simonds said. “All 12 or 13 players we plan to carry can play multiple positions, so I feel very good about where we?re at.” This year?s 24-5A lineup includes newcomers Dickinson (up from Class 4A) and new Clear Creek ISD school Clear Springs, which will play its first varsity season with no seniors. The district lost Pearland to 22-5A, but has holdovers Clear Lake, Clear Brook (fourth place in 2007), Brazoswood, Alvin and Ball. “The big question mark is going to be Dickinson,” Simonds said. “They were a very good 4A team, and they were just a few points away beating (eventual Class 4A Region 3 champion) Friendswood in the quarterfinals last year. Coach (Mitzi) Matthews does a great job at Dickinson, and they have an outstanding hitter in (senior) Kaylee Hawkins. “Clear Lake and Clear Brook both graduated a lot of seniors, but they were very good at the sub- varsity levels, so they have a lot of good players coming up, and we lost some numbers and outstanding players who played for us as freshmen to Clear Springs, so we expect all of those teams to be good.” The Lady Wildcats return to preseason tournaments at Duncanville, Pearland and Spring Branch, and will continue a challenging non-district slate against teams like Clements, Kingwood, Stratford, Friendswood and Deer Park. Simonds and his staff will host a Clear Creek camp for incoming fourth-through-ninth graders from July 28-31 with more information available at www.clearcreekvolleyball.org.