It may have been a sweep, but both teams still kept it close throughout the night.
In the end, it was Midland Legacy that prevailed, winning 3-0 in a District 2-6A contest against rivals Permian Tuesday night at Permian Fieldhouse.
The Lady Rebels (who improved to 22-12 overall, 2-0 in district) won by scores of 25-21, 25-22, 25-23.
“Going into district, we knew everything was going to be competitive and this game was certainly competitive,” Legacy head coach Rachel Anglin said. “When it’s point-by-point like that, it’s certainly a thrill, but I’m proud of our girls for fighting back and executing on the third set.”
The Lady Panthers fell to 21-8, 1-1.
“Every game, you have to bring your best,” Permian head coach Gillian Herrera said. “There are no games where you should make mistakes in district play. You have to play it up. We had too many unforced errors. It’s fixable. We have to work on things and get back out there.”
Despite the sweep, Permian was never fully out of any of the sets.
Permian used an 11-1 run to erase a nine-point deficit in the first set but was unable to finish.
The Lady Rebels controlled the majority of the first set, taking a 19-10 lead.
Permian, however, score four unanswered points to pull to a five-point deficit before Legacy called a timeout.
The Lady Panthers continued to cut at the Lady Rebels’ lead and a block soon made it 20-17.
Permian wasn’t done yet as the Lady Panthers soon tied it up at 20, forcing Legacy to call another timeout.
Permian came out of the timeout with more momentum, scoring the next point to take a 21-20 lead.
A kill by Legacy’s Peyton Thompson tied it back up on the next play.
It would mark the start of a 5-0 run that helped the Lady Rebels close out the first set with the win.
A block by Permian’s Keeley Granado gave the hosts an early 2-1 lead in the second set.
Legacy responded with a 6-1 run to take a 7-3 advantage.
The Lady Rebels continued to keep their foot on the pedal, building a 12-6 lead.
But just like the first set, Permian wouldn’t stay down and soon went on a 6-1 run to make it a one-point set.
Both teams continued to keep things close throughout the set and Legacy soon made it 21-17.
Permian used a 3-0 run to make it a one-score game.
But Legacy scored four unanswered points to take the second set and a 2-0 advantage.
The third set began the same way the previous sets did with both teams keeping it close.
Permian started the set on a 10-7 run.
The Lady Panthers kept in front, taking a 13-9 advantage.
The Lady Rebels used a 6-2 run to tie things up at 15.
A block by the Lady Rebels put the visitors in front 17-16.
An error by the Lady Panthers gave the Lady Rebels a 19-16 lead.
Permian was still not out of it, going on a 7-1 run to take a 23-20 lead.
“I liked the fight in them,” Herrera said. “I liked them playing hard and from behind. But when we get caught up, we can’t let up. Legacy’s a good team. we can’t have any letdowns. It’s going to be a battle.”
Legacy responded with a 5-0 run of its own to complete the sweep, 25-23, 3-0.
“Our big thing this year has been being able to respond,” Anglin said. “That’s what our girls did and when we’re telling them to go to certain places to execute and they do, it makes my job as a coach, much easier.”
Permian will next face San Angelo Central at 5 p.m. Friday in San Angelo.
“We’re in control of our destiny,” Herrera said. “We’re in control with what we do. We have to focus on us and go compete every game.”
Legacy will take its 2-0 district advantage to crosstown rivals Midland High in a 5 p.m. contest Friday at Midland High.
“It’s very crucial, especially for conference play,” Anglin said of starting off 2-0 in district. “We’re trying to preach to the girls that we are a good team and we can win good games like this.”
