The Madisonville volleyball team split a pair of district bouts with a win over Mexia on the road in five sets Oct. 12 and a loss to LaVega in five sets at MHS Friday. The Lady Mustangs are secured in third place in district with a 4-3 record entering their matchup at Robinson Tuesday.

“Mexia is a tough place to play,” said head coach Kristen Hooten on the team’s second victory over the Black Cats this season. “They always seem to just step it up a level whenever we go there and it was their senior night, so it was even more of an elevated atmosphere.”

The Lady Mustangs proved victorious in the tightly contested matchup by scores of 16-25, 25-22, 27-25, 19-25 and 15-11. Zaylea Brunette led the team with 13 kills in the win and was followed by Shelby Bird with nine, Maegan Anderson with eight, Grayson Bennett with six and Briana Johnson with five.

Brunette also led the way with four total blocks and was followed by Anderson, Bird and Bennett with a pair a piece. Jadyn Hooten led the team with 27 digs while Harlee Christiansen and Audree Phillips added 14 and 10, respectively.

Christiansen also logged four aces for Madisonville in the win.

“We really knew that was a game to clinch one of the top three district positions and that we would have to win,” said Hooten.

The Lady Mustangs failed to complete the season sweep over La Vega at MHS Friday despite jumping out to a two-games-to-none advantage early. The Pirates were able to keep their hopes for the district’s final playoff slot alive with a victory in five games.

“They just woke up,” said Hooten on La Vega. “They are a very athletic group of girls. They just really started playing well and I feel like we started playing not to lose instead of to win, we just kind of got scared and stopped being aggressive.”

Bird led the team in kills against La Vega with 12 and was followed by Anderson and Brunette with 10 each. Bennett led the team in blocks with three and was followed by Brunette and Bird with two apiece.

Christiansen led the Lady Mustangs with 20 digs and was followed by Anderson with 11 and Mackenzie Foster with 10.

The Lady Mustangs traveled to Robinson Tuesday and will conclude their district slate with matchups at MHS against China Spring Friday and in Connally Oct. 26. Friday’s 5:30 p.m. matchup against top-ranked China Spring will be the team’s senior night, in which they will honor Anderson and Foster.

“(Anderson and Foster) are two young ladies who have really been a joy to coach because they are super coachable,” said Hooten. “They are both coming off of being on junior varsity last year as juniors and they really came in and fought and battled and worked to earn a starting, playing position. These girls had a goal and they achieved it.

I am super proud of how far they have come over the years to play a huge role on our team right now. They are two of the three captains on our team, great leaders and great teammates. They are going to be truly missed in our program because of what they represent.”