2011 All-District Volleyball Teams
District 12-5A
MVP: Setter Amy Rosenbaum, Cove, sr.
Most valuable setter: Jordyn Slocum, Consol, jr.
Most valuable hitter: Jessica Wagner, Consol, jr.
Defensive MVP: Libero Brittany Little, Bryan, jr.
Newcomer of the Year: Middle blocker Qiana Canete, Cove, soph.
Coach of the Year: Cydryce McMillian, Consol
First Team
Middle blocker -- Hayley Cmajdalka, Consol, jr.; Chelsea Grant, Ellison, sr.; Andrea Hurt, Cove, sr. Right side hitter -- Jordan Dickson, Consol, soph. Outside hitter -- Reagan Boenker, Bryan, jr.; Megan McKinnon, Ellison, sr.; Anjane Janda, Heights, jr.; Hailee Showers, Shoemaker, jr. Setter -- Abby Cullen, Bryan, jr.; Abby Goodman, Temple, sr. Libero -- Claire Taylor, Cove, sr.
Second Team
Libero -- Kaitlyn Corbett, Consol, sr.; Sarah Truelove, Temple, sr. Defensive specialist -- Ally McCrady, Consol, sr. Setter/right side -- Maggie Kramer, Belton, jr. Outside hitter/right side -- Brieanne Brown, Belton, soph.; Right side hitter -- Arielle Garcia, Cove, jr. Outside hitter -- Kortni Taylor, Ellison, jr. Middle blocker -- Deysia Burden, Heights, jr.; Starr Bodie, Heights, sr.; Brittani Cook, Temple, sr. Setter -- Kiara Rawls, Shoemaker, sr.
Academic Team
Consol -- Kaycey Cermin, soph.; Hayley Cmajdalka, jr.; Kaitlyn Corbett, sr.; Ashlynn Ford, soph.; Mandy Nelson, sr.; Kendall Pye, sr.; Casey Shomaker, sr.; Jordyn Slocum, jr.; Ebonee Smith, soph. Bryan -- Brittney Little, Courtney Sager, Emily Carroll, Jessica Pfeffer, Alyssa Micheletti.
Consol volleyball team advances to area
Published Wednesday, November 02, 2011 12:17 AM
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated's Ashlynn Ford spikes the ball past Noth Mesquite's Vandala Dunn (13) on Tuesday night in Fairfield.
FAIRFIELD -- When the A&M Consolidated volleyball team passes well and is able to run its offense, the Lady Tigers can win matches with a variety of attackers.
When Consol doesn't pass well, which was the case in Tuesday's bi-district sweep of North Mesquite, the Lady Tigers can go to Jessica Wagner.
Junior outside hitter Wagner lifted Consol past the North Mesquite Lady Mustangs 25-15, 25-14, 25-17 in the opener of a playoff doubleheader at the Johnson Activity Center. Wagner helped the District 12-5A champion Lady Tigers (32-11) overcome a shaky start to earn a berth in the Class 5A Region II area round against Richardson or Garland Sachse.
The Lady Mustangs, who placed fourth in 11-5A, finished the season at 13-27.
Although Consol never seemed in jeopardy of dropping the match, the Lady Tigers had too much trouble with digs and passing to operate their attack smoothly. That reduced the number of kill opportunities for the Consol middle attackers and left the scoring burden on the 5-foot-11 Wagner.
"Our main goal is to establish the middle, but when we start breaking down on serve-receive we kind of have to set whatever's available and whoever's on her game," Wagner said. "If the first ball is not good, the second person should make it a little better and then so should the third person. When the setters don't have a great pass, they have to do the best they can and it's my job to better it."
Wagner was terrific against North Mesquite. She finished with a match-high 14 kills and led the Lady Tigers with 13 digs.
The opening game was tight with Consol leading 16-15, but the Lady Tigers won the next nine points as Wagner had three kills and a block to go along with three ace serves by senior libero Kaitlyn Corbett.
Consol continued to control the action in Game 2, posting a 14-5 advantage in kills with five by Wagner and three from sophomore Ashlynn Ford.
For the match, the Lady Tigers recorded more than twice as many kills at 37-18.
"We kind of started a little slow, probably from playoff first-round jitters," Consol head coach Cydryce McMillian said. "We called a time-out and talked about playing with dominance, having a presence when you're out there. The girls responded very well and we picked it up and started playing good Tiger volleyball."
Consolidated has reached at least the third round of the state playoffs in each of the last four seasons, but this year's team is not loaded with postseason experience. Players such as junior setter Jordyn Slocum, junior middle blocker Hayley Cmajdalka and sophomore right side hitter Jordan Dickson found themselves in leading roles for the first time.
Slocum dealt with the erratic passing effectively, finishing with 27 assists. Slocum also had three kills and a block. Cmajdalka was second on the team with nine kills, connecting better on quick attacks as the match progressed.
"At the beginning we weren't really warmed up," Wagner said. "After we got into the rhythm of the match we started playing really well."
McMillian was happy with the three-game sweep but pledged to work on her team's defense before the second round.
"We've got to dig more balls," McMillian said. "In the next round we'll run into better hitters, and we've got to dig more balls, so we can attack out of it."
The Lady Tigers also will need to reduce their service errors. Consol gave the Lady Stallions 10 points on serves that sailed long or into the net.
On the other hand, the Lady Tigers punished North Mesquite with precision serving. Consol finished with 11 aces, most strategically placed rather than blasted.
Cmajdalka leading Consol into playoffs
Published Tuesday, November 01, 2011 12:00 AM
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated junior Hayley Cmajdalka has become a leader for the district-champion Tigers.
Hayley Cmajdalka spent her early years in volleyball around the fringe. For a while she split time between another sport, and last season she was a reserve on A&M Consolidated's veteran varsity team.
She's in the middle of things now.
The 6-foot-2 junior middle blocker has emerged as one of the leading hitters on the Consolidated team that won the District 12-5A championship and will open the Class 5A state playoffs Tuesday. The Lady Tigers (32-10) will face North Mesquite (13-26) in a bi-district match in Fairfield at 6 p.m.
Cmajdalka played for the Consol team that reached the third round last season, but she will carry a much more prominent role this year. She has developed into a college prospect and one of the Lady Tigers' most reliable attackers, making huge strides over the last three years.
"I didn't start playing club [volleyball] until my high school years, so a lot of the girls had more experience than I had," Cmajdalka said. "I wasn't really that strong my freshman year. I worked hard and then I started club because I had more time, and that helped."
When she began high school, Cmajdalka chose volleyball over tennis, her second-favorite sport. Consol volleyball coach Cydryce McMillian agrees with that decision, and with Cmajdalka's choice to pay her dues on the varsity last season rather than asking to be placed on the JV team in order to get more playing time.
Cmajdalka spent her sophomore season battling in practice against a pair of college prospects in senior middle blockers Julia Westerbur and Erika Arthur. McMillian calls it Cmajdalka's year in training.
"I knew she had a lot of athleticism and a lot of potential," McMillian said. "We had veterans in the middle, so I thought putting her at the varsity level would be the best thing for her so she'd be ready to go her junior year. It really panned out. She has turned out to be great."
Consol's usual starting lineup includes three juniors -- outside hitter Jessica Wagner, setter Jordyn Slocum and Cmajdalka -- along with sophomore outside hitter Jordan Dickson and sophomore middle blocker Kaycey Cermin. Cmajdalka and Slocum have formed a productive bond, one that pays when Cmajdalka attempts a slide attack that requires running parallel to the net. The play requires extra timing and can be very difficult to defend.
"They played on the same club (Brazos Valley Juniors) this year and you can definitely see the connection they have developed," McMillian said. "It's a good combination."
Consol volleyball team finishes perfect 12-5A season
Published Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:17 AM The Eagle
Senior Night for the A&M Consolidated volleyball program featured some things popular at most schools, with bouquets, photos and gift bags for members of the honored class.
Like the Lady Tigers' home finales in recent years, Tuesday's Senior Night represented a hello along with a farewell. Consol had its sights set on the playoffs after, and probably during, a 25-4, 25-19, 25-22 sweep of Killeen Ellison at Tiger Gym.
Consol finished the regular season 32-10 overall and 14-0 in District 12-5A. The Lady Tigers clinched the program's sixth consecutive district championship with a five-game victory over second-place Copperas Cove on Friday.
With its playoff seed secured and a win over the Lady Eagles almost certain, Consol went into the match hoping to send seven senior players out in style. Seniors received more playing time than usual and head coach Cydryce McMillian changed the lineup for each game as the Lady Tigers proved too deep and skilled for Ellison.
"It was a very good night," McMillian said. "We walked away with three wins and had an opportunity to get everyone involved. I think everybody stepped in and did a good job.
"We love our seniors and appreciate everything that they've done for our program. To be able to reward them [with playing time] and then for them to do so well says something about the depth of the program."
Consol will open the Class 5A playoffs against the fourth seed from District 11-5A, either North Mesquite or Longview.
"I told the girls we have the pieces we need [for the playoffs]," McMillian said. "It was bittersweet to lose games 3 and 4 against Copperas Cove, but it showed us the things we need to work on and I'm thankful for that."
Ellison (17-22, 7-7), which hasn't made the playoffs since 2006, tied Temple for fourth place and will need a playoff to determine the league's last entry into bi-district. Temple lost at Cove on Tuesday.
Junior middle blocker Hayley Cmajdalka led Consol with 12 kills. Most of those came on the business end of sets by senior Casey Shomaker, who came off the bench for 23 assists in two games. Seniors Jaclyn Roddy and Mandy Nelson tied for second with six kills apiece. Senior libero Kaitlyn Corbett made six digs to share the team lead with junior setter Jordyn Slocum.
"It means a lot to all of us finishing it out at home like this," Corbett said. "It's nice way for the senior class to go out. It's a very exciting night to see all of your hard work for four years coming together."
Consol breezed through the opening game as Ellison had fits receiving serve. The visitors passed better in Games 2 and 3, but the Lady Tigers asserted themselves as Shomaker connected often with Cmajdalka on slide plays and quick attacks in the middle.
The Lady Tigers' JV and freshman teams also claimed district titles. The JV beat Ellison 25-17, 25-20 to go 14-0 in league play. Consol's freshmen won 25-2, 25-15.
Consol volleyball team clinches district title
Published Saturday, October 22, 2011 1:21 AM The Eagle
COPPERAS COVE -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team clinched the District 12-5A championship Friday by beating Copperas Cove 30-28, 25-20, 12-25, 18-25, 15-10.
Jessica Wagner led Consol (31-10, 13-0) with 22 kills and 17 digs. Jordan Dickson added 19 kills and a team-high three aces, and Jordyn Slocum had 42 assists. Kaycey Cermin had five blocks, and Hayley Cmajdalka had four.
Consol's JV won 25-21, 25-20 and Consol's two freshman teams won.
Published Wednesday, October 19, 2011 7:20 AM The Eagle
Consol defeats Temple to stay undefeated in district: TEMPLE -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team (30-10, 12-0) remained undefeated in District 12-5A on Tuesday by defeating Temple 25-15, 25-11, 25-22.
Consol was led by Jessica Wagner (14 kills, 17 digs, 2 aces), Hayley Cmajdalka (10 kills, 3 blocks), Kaitlyn Corbett (17 digs, 2 aces) and Jordyn Slocum (30 assists).
The Consolidated JV team (21-5) won 25-19, 25-19 as Kelly Williams had 13 kills. The freshmen "A" team (27-1) won 25-9, 25-17.
Published Saturday, October 15, 2011 1:07 AM The Eagle
Consol sweeps Shoemaker to keep control of 12-5A: The A&M Consolidated volleyball team had little to sweat in a 25-7, 25-5, 25-5 sweep of Killeen Shoemaker on Friday to remain unbeaten in District 12-5A.
Hayley Cmajdalka led the Lady Tigers (29-10, 11-0) with eight kills while Kaitlyn Corbett had 13 digs. Jordyn Slocum had 21 assists, and Casey Shomaker added 11.
The Consol JV won 25-10, 25-13 and the Consol freshmen won 25-11, 25-5.
Consol sweeps Belton in volleyball
Published Wednesday, October 12, 2011 12:16 AM The Eagle
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated's Jessica Wagner leaps to spike the ball past Belton's Maggie Kramer on Tuesday in Consol's 3-0 victory.
A&M Consolidated's volleyball match against last-place Belton started like one of those nights that make a coach want to hit her head, but Consol recovered for a three-game sweep.
"Sometimes you just pat yourself on the back and say, 'We got through it,'" Consol head coach Cydryce McMillian said after Consol beat Belton 25-16, 25-8, 26-24 at Tiger Gym on Tuesday night.
Consol improved to 28-10 overall and 10-0 in District 12-5A. The Lady Tigers rarely are challenged during district matches, particularly against teams in the bottom half of the league. Belton (5-27, 1-9) has been hurt by player defections and started just one senior.
"This is a hard district to be in," McMillian said. "Night after night you have to come ready and prepared. I believe we do that, but sometimes my kids play down to the other team. I felt like we started off a little flat. We didn't really bring our energy and weren't playing very well. In Game 2 I thought we turned it around."
Belton won the first four points of the match aided by three errors and built a surprising 14-11 lead. Junior outside hitter Jessica Wagner lifted Consol with four kills as the home team won 12 of the last 13 points.
Consol's poor passing forced setter Jordyn Slocum to chase ball after ball during the opening game. The passing picked up in Game 2 and so did the Tigers' serving, with sophomore Jordan Dickson delivering three aces during a 9-0 run.
McMillian used several backups during the third game and Consol's level of play slid. Belton got a spark from senior reserve Emily Waits during a 9-2 spurt that gave the visitors a 21-16 lead. Belton wasted one game point opportunity on a serve into the net and Consol won the next two points on blocks by Hayley Cmajdalka.
"I'm proud of the girls for winning and for coming back in that third game from a five-point deficit," McMillian said. "They showed character there and a lot of poise."
Wagner led Consol with 11 kills and 17 digs, while Cmajdalka added six kills and six blocks. Dickson had five kills and 11 digs. Slocum finished with 25 assists.
Consol's JV posted a 25-16, 25-8 win with Kelly Williams making 10 kills. The Tigers took both freshman matches, with the A team rolling 25-6, 25-3 and the B team winning 25-5, 25-8.
Published Saturday, October 08, 2011 1:37 AM The Eagle
VOLLEYBALL
Consol sweeps Bryan, still unbeaten in 12-5A: The A&M Consolidated volleyball team continued its dominance of District 12-5A on Friday, sweeping Bryan 25-18, 25-18, 25-12.
Jessica Wagner led Consol (27-10, 9-0) with 10 kills, 16 digs and two aces. Hayley Cmajdalka had 10 kills and two blocks, while Kaitlyn Corbett had nine digs and Jordyn Slocum added 24 assists.
Reagan Boenker had nine kills and seven digs for Bryan (15-21, 5-4). Abby Cullen dished out 18 assists. Jessica Pfeffer had seven kills, and Brittany Little had six digs.
Consol's JV (16-4) won 25-14, 25-13 behind Hannah Freedman and Kelly Williams' five kills. Consol's freshman A team won 25-19, 25-17, and Consol's freshman B team won 25-7, 25-18.
Consol will host Belton, while Bryan will host Temple at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Published Wednesday, October 05, 2011 12:24 AM The Eagle
Consol sweeps Harker Heights to maintain league lead: HARKER HEIGHTS -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team defeated Harker Heights 25-9, 25-17, 25-15 on Tuesday to remain unbeaten in District 12-5A play and warm up for the second round of the Crosstown Showdown.
Junior middle blocker Hayley Cmajdalka had 13 kills and had five blocks for the Lady Tigers (26-10, 8-0). Junior Jordan Dickson had 12 kills and nine digs, while libero Kaitlyn Corbett led Consol with 17 digs. Junior setter Jordyn Slocum had 32 assists, three aces and two blocks.
Consol's JV won 25-13, 25-9 behind Kelly Williams' six kills. Consol's freshmen won 25-12, 25-5.
Consol will host Bryan at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Tiger Gym. Subvarsity matches are set for 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Published Saturday, October 01, 2011 1:35 AM The Eagle
Consol still undefeated in 12-5A: KILLEEN -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team moved to 7-0 in District 12-5A on Friday with a 25-10, 25-16, 25-18 win over Killeen Ellison.
Hayley Cmajdalka led the team in kills with seven and tied for blocks with Kaycey Cermin at three. Jordan Dixon added six kills and seven digs while Mandy Nelson led the Lady Tigers (25-10) with 10 digs. Jordyn Slocum had 21 assists and Casey Shomaker had 10 assists and two aces.
Conso's JV (14-4) won 25-15, 25-21 and the freshmen won 25-14, 25-9.
Consolidated will play at Harker Heights on Tuesday, with the JV and freshmen starting at 5:30 p.m. and varsity following at 6:30 p.m.
Published Wednesday, September 28, 2011 12:30 AM
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated's Kaycey Cermin attempts to get the ball past Copperas Cove's Qiana Canete (3) and Amy Rosenbaum (9) Tuesday.
A&M Consolidated made a pretty good case for being the best volleyball team in District 12-5A by beating co-leader Copperas Cove in four games Tuesday night at Tiger Gym.
When it comes to who has the deepest team in the league, the verdict should be in after Consol's 25-23, 25-21, 34-36, 25-17 victory.
The defending district champion Lady Tigers played without their top attacker and still defeated the team expected to be their stiffest test in 12-5A. Hayley Cmajdalka delivered 23 kills to lead a strong group effort as Consol overcame the absence of season-long kill leader Jessica Wagner, who underwent an emergency appendectomy Monday.
"We always talk about having depth in our program," Consol coach Cydryce McMillian said. "It's nice knowing that if for some reason a player's out, we still have people that we can go to and feel confident that they can get the job done.
"It says a lot of our players are doing some good things in the practice gym, making themselves better. When things get tough, they know how to step up and fight back. That's what they did."
Wagner cheered her teammates on from the bench as the Lady Tigers improved to 24-10 overall and 6-0 in district to take sole possession of first place. The Lady Bulldawgs dropped to 25-8 and 5-1.
Senior Mandy Nelson and sophomore Ashlynn Ford helped fill in for Wagner at outside hitter. Nelson had 10 kills and Ford added seven.
"It just challenged us as a team to step up," McMillian said. "We put Mandy and Ashlynn out there and gave them an opportunity and I thought they did a great job."
Consol also got a big night from junior setter Jordyn Slocum. She finished with 57 assists and chipped in with several important kills, dumping shots into the middle when the Cove defenders expected her to set.
Middle blocker Cmajdalka and Slocum clicked through the match, connecting on slide attacks to the right side and quick hitters in the middle.
"What a night Hayley Cmajdalka had," McMillian said. "We knew she was going to be one of our go-to players tonight. The way we can utilize her is by passing to target, and I thought our passers and defenders did a great job getting that ball in Jordyn's hands where we could do that."
Cove started the match well and led late in Game 1. The Lady Tigers broke a 22-22 tie by taking three of the last four points on two Cove errors and a winning block by sophomore Jordan Dickson.
The Lady Tigers never trailed in the second game.
Consol had four match points during Game 3, which lasted 24 minutes as the teams pushed each other through 20 extra rallies. Dickson and Slocum sent the Lady Tigers within a point of victory, but Cove battled back and extended the match on a block by setter Amy Rosenbaum.
Many members of the big crowd on hand for the Dig Pink Cancer Awareness Night left before the fourth game, but the Lady Tigers came back strong. Consol scored the first five points and raced to a 13-4 lead.
Cove crept back within 21-17, but the Lady Tigers won the next four points with a couple of kills by Kaycey Cermin and one by Ford.
Cermin finished with 11 kills and Dickson had seven. Libero Kaitlyn Corbett made 31 digs.
"It's a good win for our program, to show how hard we've been working," Cmajdalka said. "We had some players who stepped up."
Published Saturday, September 24, 2011 1:22 AM The Eagle
Consol still undefeated in 12-5A: A&M Consolidated swept Temple 25-8, 25-9, 25-16 on Friday to improve to 5-0 in District 12-5A.
Jessica Wagner had 14 kills, 12 digs and three aces for the Lady Tigers (23-10). Hayley Cmajdalka added 11 kills for Consol, and Kaitlyn Corbett had 11 digs and four aces. Jordyn Slocum led Consol with 23 assists.
Consol's JV (12-4) won 25-19, 25-8 behind Kelly Williams' 15 kills. Consol's freshman A team won 25-4, 25-16 and Consol's freshman B team won 25-8, 25-8.
Consol will host Copperas Cove at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on "Dig for the Cure Night." All fans are encouraged to wear either a white or pink shirt in honor of Breast Cancer awareness, and Consol will serve free ice cream.
Published Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:01 AM The Eagle
Consol stays undefeated in district: KILLEEN -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team defeated Killeen Shoemaker 25-13 25-15, 25-7 in District 12-5A play Tuesday.
Jessica Wagner led Consol (22-10, 4-0) with 15 kills, 13 digs and three aces. Hayley Cmjadalka had eight assists while Kaitlyn Corbett added 17 digs and three aces. Jordyn Slocum had 25 assists.
The Consol JV team defeated Shoemaker 25-11, 25-12 with Kelly Williams leading the team with six kills. Lindsey Gore and Claire Walker each had five kills. The Consol Freshman A team defeated Shoemaker 25-3, 25-6.
Consol will play host to Temple on Friday.
Published Saturday, September 17, 2011 12:06 AM The Eagle
Consol sweeps Belton: BELTON -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team swept Belton 25-10, 25-14, 25-12 on Friday to improve to 3-0 in District 12-5A action.
Jessica Wagner led the Lady Tigers (21-10) with 15 kills and five aces, chipping in seven digs. Kaitlyn Corbett had eight digs, while Jordyn Slocum had a team-high 18 assists. Kaycey Cermin led with four blocks while Casey Shomaker had eight assists and two blocks.
Consol's JV won 25-16, 25-21, the Freshmen A team swept 25-16, 25-12, and the B team rolled 25-7, 25-10.
The Lady Tigers play at Killeen Shoemaker Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Consol beats Bryan in three
Published Wednesday, September 14, 2011 12:01 AM The Eagle
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated's Haley Cmjadalka hits a kill attempt past Bryan's Brittney Jones to end the first game Tuesday night.
One Bryan volleyball player received flowers and balloons with a request for a homecoming date during introductions before the Crosstown Showdown, but nobody in Viking Gym was lavished with more gifts than A&M Consolidated setter Jordyn Slocum.
The Lady Tigers presented Slocum and fellow setter Casey Shomaker with several options in a diversified offense that enabled Consol to overwhelm the Vikings 25-16, 25-15, 25-15 on Tuesday night in District 12-5A action.
Outside hitter Jessica Wagner and middle blocker Hayley Cmjadalka formed a potent combination with 28 kills. They helped the Lady Tigers dominate the Bryan team that was forced to route most of its offense through one player, outside hitter Reagan Boenker.
Consol targeted Boenker with serves and set its defense against her attacks, making the Bryan junior work for her 12 kills. Sophomore Jessica Pfeffer had six kills and was the only other Viking with more than two.
Wagner led Consol with 16 kills and Cmjadalka added 12. The Lady Tigers got six kills from sophomore Kaycey Cermin and five by Jaclyn Roddy.
Slocum, a junior, started at setter and played the first 2 1/2 games, dishing out 33 assists.
"It's nice having different hitters who can put the ball down because you can keep their defense guessing on who you're going to set," Slocum said. "With those options it's easier to get [the attacker] against a single blocker, and that helps the hitters."
The Lady Tigers (20-10, 2-1) maintained a share of the 12-5A lead with Copperas Cove. Bryan (11-19, 1-1) relinquished its hold on first place.
Bryan setter Abby Cullen had 18 assists, but she had less targets to set than Slocum and Shomaker.
"We have some weapons that we weren't able to use because we were playing defense the whole time," Bryan coach Caroline Simpson said. "In order to have all our options we've got to have better ball control. Give credit to them: They caused our lack of ball control whether it was with their serving or hitting."
Consol gave the Bryan fans reason to holler with some sloppy play to start the match. The Lady Tigers committed six errors to help Bryan take a 12-11 lead in the first game, but Consol scored the next 10 points and the Vikings did not lead again.
"We kind of settled in, locked in and loaded up," Consol coach Cydryce McMillian said. "Mentally we were very sharp tonight."
The Lady Tigers established their superiority with the big run midway through Game 1, most of the damage courtesy of Wagner and Cmjadalka. Slocum and Cmjadalka began to connect on hard-to-defend slide attacks and Wagner found the range as Consol seemed to hit another gear.
"Once we felt the pressure they put on us we really stepped up our game," Slocum said. "We realized it was time to put it on, and after that point we just kept going. Having a good pass is the first part. That lets you pick which hitter you want to go to, and we have so many hitters who can put the ball down."
Bryan never seriously threatened in the last two games. The Vikings scored three consecutive points, matching their longest run of the match, to get within 17-12 in Game 2. Cermin had three kills and a block as Consol pulled away.
The match lasted 1 hour, 1 minute and would have been over much sooner without the defensive work of Bryan libero Brittany Little. The junior had a couple of acrobatic plays among her 21 digs. Boenker made 17 digs.
Wagner led Consol with 18 digs and libero Kaitlyn Corbett added 12.
Junior ready to play key role for Consol volleyball
Published Tuesday, September 13, 2011 12:25 AM The Eagle
By LARRY BOWEN
larry.bowen@theeagle.com
A&M Consolidated outside hitter Jessica Wagner isn't the tallest player on the Lady Tiger volleyball team or the most experienced, but Wagner packs a terrific tool box.
Come again?
Wagner, a junior in her first season as a starter on the varsity, possesses an arsenal that makes her well-equipped for a key role in the Consol attack despite having average height for a hitter at 5 feet, 11 inches.
"She has what we call a 'tool box' like no other," Consol coach Cydryce McMillian said. "She can hit all kind of shots, which really opens up her game on the outside. You never know what she's going to do."
Consol (19-10, 1-0 in District 12-5A) will visit Bryan (11-18, 1-0) in a matchup of league leaders at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Viking Gym. The Lady Tigers will go into the first round of the Crosstown Showdown with size and experience that has been bolstered by the emergence of Wagner.
Last season Wagner played a supporting role as a sophomore on the varsity team. She chose that challenge instead of accepting a chance to play full-time on the junior varsity.
"I'm really glad I did it," Wagner said. "I got to know the seniors last year and they were great. Also, I thought the challenge was good for me. Plus, I kind of feel like I earned my keep for this year."
Wagner is Consol's top hitter by percentage. She has 264 kills in 29 matches.
"We've been preaching to our kids to make an immediate impact, to take advantage when you get an opportunity," McMillian said. "From the beginning of the season Jessica has done that. She's so multi-dimensional. She gives us an opportunity to score because of her passing and defense, but she can also score points for us."
Volleyball is Wagner's passion, whether she is playing for Consol or with the Brazos Valley Juniors, her former club team. She plans to join the Woodlands Wave club team next spring to increase her chances of earning a volleyball scholarship to college.
Wagner already has been contacted by some small college programs and she hopes to catch the attention of bigger schools with her play as a junior and during the upcoming club season.
"I don't have many other interests," Wagner said. "I'm really committed to it. I love it so much. My new club coach is all about recruiting, getting everyone scholarships, and he said he felt like I have the potential to get to a Division I school."
NOTES -- Bryan and Consol share the early district lead with Copperas Cove, and McMillian said that trio of teams could battle for the top spots in 12-5A.
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Published Saturday, September 10, 2011 12:36 AM The Eagle
Consol opens district with win: The A&M Consolidated volleyball team opened District 12-5A action Friday, sweeping Harker Heights 25-5, 25-4, 25-16.
Hayley Cmajdalka led Consol with 16 kills and six blocks while Kaitlyn Corbett led with 10 digs and Jordyn Slocum with 22 assists. Jessica Wagner piled on 11 kills, eight digs and three aces.
Kelly Williams' 17 kills led the JV to a 25-10, 25-14 win, while the Freshman A team won 25-4, 25-1.
Consol (19-10, 1-0 in 12-5A) will play at Bryan on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Published Wednesday, September 07, 2011 12:26 AM The Eagle
Consol sweeps Tomball on road: TOMBALL -- A&M Consolidated's Hayley Cmjadalka had 13 kills and five blocks, and Jessica Wagner added 11 kills and 20 digs to help the Lady Tigers sweep Tomball 26-24, 25-20, 25-23 on Tuesday.
Kaitlyn Corbett had 10 digs for Consol (18-10), while Jordyn Slocum had 37 assists.
Consol's JV lost 25-20, 28-26. Consol's freshman A team won 25-17, 25-13, and its freshman B team won 25-6, 25-12.
Consol will host Harker Heights on Friday to open District 12-5A play.
Published Saturday, September 03, 2011 1:36 AM The Eagle
Consol sweeps Brenham on road: BRENHAM -- The A&M Consolidated volleyball team defeated the Brenham Lady Cubs 26-24, 25-22, 25-23 on Friday.
Hayley Cmajdalka and Kaycey Cermin each had seven kills and five blocks for Consol (17-10). Ebony Smith had 15 digs, Jordan Dickson 13 digs and Jordyn Slocum led the Lady Tigers with 31 assists.
Consol's JV (7-3) won 25-8, 25-15. Consol's freshman A team lost 25-11, 25-23, and Consol's freshman B team won 25-14, 25-3.
Consol will play at Tomball at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Consol tops Cinco Ranch in four sets
Published Wednesday, August 24, 2011 12:19 AM
A&M Consolidated's Jacklyn Roddy spikes the ball past Cinco Ranch's Priscilla Ehieze on Tuesday.
BY JUSTON BRAATON
Staff Writer
The A&M Consolidated volleyball team dominated the opening two games of its match before going on to defeat Katy Cinco Ranch, 25-12, 25-15, 17-25, 25-20 victory on Tuesday.
Consol was the bigger and stronger team while Cinco Ranch's offense was built around movement and quickness, and the two appeared to offset each other early on.
After the Lady Tigers (11-6) went up 11-7, the home team's size showed its muscle.
With Jordan Dickson serving, Consolidated extended its lead to 17-7. Hayley Cmjadalka earned points on a tip and kill and Jaclyn Roddy added a couple of kills.
Another 5-0 run with Allie McCrady serving closed Consol to within two points of the set, which Jessica Wagner closed out with two kills.
The Lady Tigers opened the second game with a 6-0 run, which was helped by multiple Cinco Ranch errors. After a couple more early runs and Lady Cougar errors, Consol had extended its lead to 13-2.
Cinco Ranch earned nine of the next 14 points, but Kailey LaBove came in off the bench and served an ace immediately to start another run for the Lady Tigers, who went up 2-0 when a Cinco Ranch's serve failed to clear the net.
Coach Cydryce McMillian started some of her reserves in the third set, a move she was confident in.
"We like to give all of our players ownership, so we wanted to get them into the game. We have confidence that all of our players can come in and immediately compete," McMillian said.
However, Consol's start wasn't as smooth as the previous two games.
The Lady Tigers took a 4-2 lead on a pair of kills by Mandy Nelson and a 5-4 lead on a kill by Cmjadalka, but Cinco Ranch would rally.
Jessica Wagner's play would keep Consol within striking distance as she accounted for three of Consol's last six points, but four points is the closest the Lady Tigers would get the rest of the game.
McMillian brought in a few of her starters for set 4.
"[Cinco Ranch] had all the momentum going into the fourth game, after winning the third, and it was all about regaining the momentum," the head coach said. "I thought I needed to challenge the starters and see if they could end the match in four games instead of going best-out-of-5."
They responded with a 5-1 lead early, but the Cougars clawed their way back again, taking an 8-6 lead before Wagner sparked another run with a pair of kills.
Wagner led the team with 15 kills and 12 digs.
After Cmjadalka, who had 14 kills, seven blocks and two aces, chimed in with a few points off of assists by Jordyn Slocum that gave Consol an 18-16 lead, she served the Lady Tigers to four straight points and a 22-16 lead. Slocum had 34 assists to lead the team.
After Wagner dropped a nice shot inside the line and Kendall Pye had a kill to bring up match-point, Cinco Ranch closed the gap to 24-20. Kaycey Cermin returned a ball that was just above the net and bounced off multiple defenders to close the match for Consol.
Consol's JV lost in three games 23-25, 27-25, 26-24. The freshman A team won 25-14, 26-24, and the freshman B team beat the Lady Cougars 25-8, 25-13.
A&M Consolidated will play next at the Pearland Tournament beginning on Thursday.
