Sachse junior Laney George (2) makes a pass during an Aug. 12 home match against Rockwall-Heath. The Lady Mustangs cruised to a 3-0 win over Lakeview Centennial on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By Mark Saldana

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GARLAND – The Sachse Lady Mustangs wasted no time making a statement in their District 9-6A opener, sweeping Lakeview Centennial in straight sets Tuesday night, 25-18, 25-17, 25-15.

From the opening serve, Sachse (1-0 district) established control of the game. Amyah Davis delivered a massive kill to put the Lady Mustangs up 4-2, and a few points later, Raniya Temple struck another to extend the lead to 16-11. With Lakeview forced to call a timeout, it did very little to slow Sachse’s momentum. The Lady Mustangs closed out the set 25-18, showcasing sharp passing and powerful swings.

“It feels good to start district with a sweep, especially with a young team and district play being so early this year,” Sachse head coach Rikki Jones said. “The girls came out with great energy and really set the tone from the start.”

The second set followed a similar run. Ella Smith drilled a kill midway through the frame, forcing another Lakeview timeout as Sachse surged ahead 15-9. With strong serving and disciplined defense, the Lady Mustangs continued to pull away. Khloe Ellis sealed the set with a clean kill for the 25-17 win, putting Sachse one set away from a sweep.

“What impressed me the most was that they held most of their composure throughout the night,” Jones said. “This is the first varsity match for lots of these girls, so they really came out to play tonight.”

Sachse showed no signs of letting up in the third set. Ellis again made her presence felt with a big kill to give the Lady Mustangs a 12-9 edge. Kennedy Colwell anchored the defense with several key digs, while Temple kept the offense flowing with a mix of assists and timely kills. A Lakeview timeout at 20-13 could not stop the momentum, as Sachse closed the match out with a 25-15 victory.

Temple finished with a team-high nine kills, 28 assists and four digs, leading an all-around performance. Smith added six kills, 12 assists and three digs, while Fallin Whitmore posted four kills and 13 assists. Ellis contributed two kills and five assists, and Colwell tallied 11 digs.

Jones said the dominant start should give her team confidence as the season moves forward, but they must continue working on some improvements.

 “We have plenty of work to do looking ahead, but we’re really just trying to get better every single day,” she added. “It’s a long season and we know we have a lot of potential, so we just have to focus on growth.”