Argyle Athletics Booster Club, Argyle H.S. TX

By Roger Frizzell  11.14.09

Argyle volleyball closed out another season for the record books, making it to the Regional Semi-Finals at Texas A&M-Commerce for the second year in a row.

The Lady Eagles, 29-13 on the year, finished the season as the Bi-District Champions, Area Champions, and Regional Quarter-Final Champion, further building its reputation and tradition as one of the best volleyball programs in the state.

In Region 2, Class 3A competition, 84 teams entered post-season play, but only four storied teams in the region emerged to the sweet 16, including Texarkana Pleasant Grove, Prosper, Lucas Lovejoy (the defending state champions) and Argyle.

Despite the heroic performance by the Lady Eagles, Argyle fell in the fourth round of play-offs to Texarkana Pleasant Grove in the final season of the game 17-25, 23-25, 19-25.

Once again, the team's two top scorers shined for the Eagles. Junior standout Jennifer Speer led the Eagles' offense with 11 points, closely followed by Sophomore all-star Sawyer Camillo with seven points. Together, the dynamic duo would account for 72 kills (36 each) in the play-offs, in addition to a team-leading 14 blocks posted by Camillo in the post season.

Camillo would end the season with a record 470 points scored, with Speer ending the year with 393. Speer also led the team in kills during the season with 347, while Camillo was the top blocker with 189 on the year.

Senior Callye Herbison also posted one of her best performances in the play-offs with five points on the night in the final game. Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles were Senior Captain Katie McKinney and Junior Samantha James with four points each, along with Senior Katie Eckert with three points on ace serves in each set. James, a new-comer to Argyle this year, finished the play-off run with 33 points, while McKinney closed out the play-offs with 28 points. It was McKinney's third consecutive play-off appearance as a three-year starter for the Eagles.

It also was another strong night for Freshman phenom Blair O'Brien in her first appearance to the big show in the Region Semi-finals. O'Brien had 24 assists on the night, putting her well over 1,000 sets for the season to lead the district and be among the top 10 (regardless of school size) in the region.

Defensively, Argyle's core of seniors, Sydney Sanders, Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell, were called upon all night long to fend off Pleasant Grove's potent offensive attack and make big plays to keep volleys alive. Argyle's back row, considered by many to be among the best in the state, ended the night with 75 successful passes to set up Argyle's front-row attack.

Frizzell led the team in successful service returns in the play-offs with 45, while Eckert led the squad in post-season digs with 44 . Sanders, too, had another strong showing in both areas, ending the season with more than 370 total digs, including 34 in the playoffs, while Khan finished with nearly 40 successful touches in the four post-season games played.

Argyle opened the the game with a quick 2-0 lead off a strike by Camillo and an ace serve from Eckert. Pleasant Grove countered with a run of its own to take a commanding 3-10 lead over the Eagles. As it had all season, Argyle rallied back with the next series of points off three huge kills by Speer and two more by Herbison to bring the score to 8-12.

Pleasant Grove responded with six more points of its own before Argyle pounded the Lady Hawks with a dose of kills from James on the outside to move the score within one point to 15-16. Again, Pleasant Grove's offense took hold of the game, scoring the next six points, to take a commanding lead, ultimately winning the set 17-25.

The second set began with Pleasant Grove jumping out this time to a 2-0 lead of its own before Argyle's McKinney landed a left-handed bomb, and James connected with an ace serve to bring the two teams to an early tie. The teams played evenly for most of the set, with the scored tied at seven different times, until it reached 13-13.

Herbison, in one of her best outings, landed a kill from her middle position to give Argyle its first lead of the set at 14-13, but Pleasant Grove quickly tied it back up at 14-14, and then opened up its lead to 14-17. Speer hit paydirt with a huge spike, getting the Argyle crowd excited, to move the score to 15-17, and landed a second kills shortly thereafter to bring the score within two points at 15-17. Both teams scored again, included another beautiful shot by McKinney, to move the score to 17-19.

As it had in the first set, Pleasant Grove got the hot-hand late in the set, scoring on its next several attacks, to expand its lead to 18-22. Argyle's defense bowed its back, and Argyle managed to pull within one point at 23-24 off a timely block by Camillo. Argyle's hopes of a second-set victory fell short when the Lady Hawks split the block at the net to land the final kill to put the set away 23-25, and give Pleasant Grove a two-set lead.

Building on its momentum, the Lady Hawks built an early 1-5 lead over Argyle in the third set. Eckert's third ace serve of the game and a kill by Camillo moved the score to 3-8. The two teams traded scores until the score reached 4-11 in favor of Pleasant Grove. Speer hit another big spike, ultimately landing four kills in the fourth set alone, followed by a block at the net by Herbison and Speer to move the Eagle's a step closer at 6-11.

Pleasant Grove, in another scoring surge, captured four of the next five points to bring the score to 7-15 before the Eagles fought back with five points of its own off strong defensive play and a pair of ace serves from Eckert and Speer, followed by a huge block by Camillo,  to bring the score to 12-17. Pleasant Grove responded by scoring on the next three points, but Argyle battled back with three points of its own (including the world's longest volley) to stay alive.

At 15-20, Argyle scored on a pair of kills by the team's top scorers, Camillo and Speer, and an ace serve by Camillo to bring the score within four at 17-21. Pleasant Grove captured the next point, but Argyle countered with a kill from Speer to bring the score to 18-22. Again, the two teams traded points, moving the score to 19-23, before the Lady Hawks connected on the final two points to capture the victory at 19-25 for the match win -- moving on to face Lovejoy on Saturday in the region finals.

For Argyle, the season ending marked the final game for one of the best senior classes in school history, with back-to-back seasons where the team finished in record fashion with back-to-back play-off appearances ending in the Regional Semi-Finals. The Lady Eagles send off Katie Eckert, Meredith Wooley, Callye Herbison, Katie McKinney, Sydney Sanders, Annie Frizzell and Brittany O''Brien, each contributing greatly to the team's success these past seasons.

Argyle returns a core of all-stars across the board next year, led by Speer -- on varsity since her freshman year -- and Camillo, both all-district selections last year, in addition to James, newcomers Rachel Wilkes and Madison Hoover, along with strong talent coming up from the junior varsity squad, to place great expectations on Argyle's volleyball program again next season.

           

 

By Roger Frizzell 11.07.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles advance to the next round of volleyball playoffs with a hard-fought five-set win over Kaufman (25-11, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 15-11) on Saturday night in Wylie.

The win marked the second consecutive year that the Eagles upset Kaufman to capture the Area Volleyball Championship. The Lady Lions came into the game as the defending District 12 champions and the 10th ranked team in 4A and others by the Dallas Morning News.

Agyle's dandy sophomore, Sawyer Camillo, led the team in scoring with 20 points on 11 kills, five blocks and four ace serves. It was Camillo's sixth game this season to reach 20 points and her 23rd to be in double digits.

Junior Samantha James also posted one of her best games of the year with 16 points on 11 kills, one block and four aces serves. Likewise Senior Katie McKinney, in one of her best outings, landed 10 kills and a block to end the night with 11 points, and Junior standout Jennifer Speer finished with eight kills.

Senior Brittany O'Brien added key scores with five kills and one block, in addition to scoring from Seniors Callye Herbison and Katie Eckert with one point each.

The Lady Eagles landed nine ace serves in the game and nine blocks for points. In addition, the back row successfully passed the ball more than 70 times in the game with its core of seniors, including Libero Sydney Sanders and Defensive Specialists Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell.

Freshman phenom Blair O'Brien also continued to shine in her performance for the Eagles from her setter position. The buzz-saw leads the area with more than 900 assists on the season, adding many more to her tally against Kaufman, in addition to heads-up play throughout the game. 

Argyle opened up the game with an early 7-2 lead on kills by James and Camillo. James added an ace serve to move it to 8-2 before Speer rolled off two huge spikes to open up the lead to 11-5. McKinney was the next Eagle to catch on fire with three consecutive points, along with a kill from Herbison in the middle, to give Argyle a comfortable 20-11 lead. That's when James came to the service line, landing two more ace serves, in addition to Camillo's third block of the set, to finish out the set for the win at 25-11.

Much like the first set, everything went the Eagles' way at the start of the second set as Argyle jumped out to a 4-1 lead on kills by James, McKinney and Camillo. However, this time, Kaufman battled back and tied up the set at 4-4, 6-6, 8-8 and 9-9, and then took the lead for the first time in the game at 9-12. With Sanders at the service line, McKinney landed a bomb to turn the tide. McKinney also hit pay-dirt on her next two shots to tie the game at 13-13 and 14-14.

With Eckert at the service line, Argyle took the lead for good at 15-14 and 16-14 when the senior landed a timely ace for the Eagles. Camillo scored the next three points for Argyle, but a series of unforced errors kept Kaufman alive as the Lady Lions crept back into the game at 23-21. Speer shut the door on Kaufman with two huge kills to capture the second set for the Eagles at 25-22.   

The third set was a complete turn of fortune for the Eagles as Kaufman jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, and expanded its lead to six and eight points at different points in the game. Down 10-16, Argyle began its come-back attempt behind three ace serves by Camillo to bring the game within two points at 14-16. Argyle continued to battle with two kills by Brittany O'Brien and some nifty block work at the net to keep the score at 18-20. Kaufman battled back with points of its own, and James countered by landing two of her three kills in the set to bring the score to 20-22, 21-23 and 23-25. Argyle's hopes for a three-set sweep ended when the Lady Lions scored on the final two points of the set, pushing the match into extra match play.

In the fourth set, the two teams dead even, moving into a tied game eight different times, until the score reached 17-17. McKinney and Brittany O'Brien both landed kills for the Eagles late in the set, but it wasn't enough to overcome the late momentum of Lady Lions as they took the set 19-25, putting match play at two games each.

Argyle was all business in the final set, capturing an early lead and never looking back. Kaufman made several outstanding plays to keep the game close, but Argyle relied on scores from five different Eagles to keep one step ahead of the Lady Lions. McKinney landed the first point for the Eagles, followed by three points from Camillo, before Speer and Brittany O'Brien added their own spikes. James' game caught on fire at the end of the set with three kills and a block to close out the game for the Eagles with a victory at 15-11.

The win moves Argyle's record to 28-12 on the season and 2-0 in post-season competition. The Eagles have successfully captured the bi-district champion and the area championship as it moves to the regional quarterfinals next Monday evening against Commerce.

 

By Roger Frizzell 11.09.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles routed Commerce in three straight sets (25-16, 25-19, 27-25) to capture the Region 2 Quarter-final Championship in front of a packed house in Princeton.

Commerce came into the game with a 37-5 record and a district championship, but the Lady Tigers proved to be no matched for Argyle's balanced offensive attack and strong defensive play.

Eight different Eagles scored points on the night from every part of the court in one of the best outings for Argyle this season. It marks the second straight season Argyle has reached the Region 2 semi-final in the team's back-to-back play-off run.

Sophomore sensation Sawyer Camillo led the Eagle's scoring with 17 points on 13 kills and four blocks, along with Junior all-star Jennifer Speer, who landed eight kills and one block in the match.

Senior Captain Katie McKinney ended the night with five points, while Junior standout Samantha James finished with four points. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Senior middles, Callye Herbison and Brittany O'Brien, with two points each, Freshman setter Blair O'Brien with two points, and Sophomore Rachel Wilkes with one point.

Argyle's front row was impressive throughout the game with countless blocks at the net, strong defensive saves and powerful hits, along with heads-up play that kept the Lady Tigers off balance.

The team's defensive specialists in the back row, Seniors Sydney Sanders, Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, handled Commerce's best shots, playing almost error free, with a strong service-receive game and solid digs and passes all night long. O'Brien, too, had another strong night defensively and offensively with dozens of outstanding plays throughout the game.

In fact, O'Brien landed the first kill of the night in the first set to start a run for the Lady Eagles. Camillo executed a perfect block on the very next play to set the tone for the night and give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Commerce fought back to tie the game at 2-2 and 3-3 before Camillo unleashed two more bombs, followed by two more from Speer and McKinney, to allow Argyle to begin to pull away from the Lady Tigers. At 9-6, Herbison hit pay-dirt on a hard shot to put the score at 10-6. O'Brien took to the service line and landed an ace serve, followed by great net play by Herbison and a huge kill by James, to put the score to 14-8 in favor of the Eagles.

Camillo landed four of Argyle's next five points -- with Speer landing two of her own -- to put away the first set with a victory at 25-16.

Argyle continued to build on its momentum in the second set, with a big left-handed kill by McKinney to begin set play. The Lady Eagles expanded the lead to 5-0 before Commerce got back in the game with some aggressive shots of its own. The two teams remained deadlocked at 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13 before Camillo stuffed Commerce with one of her four blocks on the night to move ahead at 14-13.

James, Camillo and Speer all connected on the next points for the Eagles, and James added icing to the cake with an additional point off a beautiful ace serve to move the score to 20-15. Camillo and Herbison landed two more kills, moving the score to 24-19, before McKinney made some outstanding defensive plays to help win the final point for the Eagles and a second-set victory at 25-19.

In the third set, neither team was able to dominate as the two teams tied the score 13 different times in the set. Camillo landed five kills -- almost matching her first set performance -- joined by McKinney, Speer, Wilkes and Brittany O'Brien. Argyle's defense would bend at times, but never break, with outstanding plays happening again and again in several long volleys between the two teams. At 26-25, McKinney came to the service line with a perfect lob serve, followed by another huge kill by Camillo to finish out the game, 27-25, in a three-set sweep for the Lady Eagles.

With the win, the team moves its season record to 29-12. Argyle plays next in the Region 2 Semi-Finals on Friday night. 

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By Roger Frizzell  10.27.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles finished the regular season as the district runner-ups in a tough loss to Prosper (21-25, 22-25, 17-25) as the team heads into post-season competition.

Super Sophomore Sawyer Camillo led the scoring for the Eagles with 13 points on four kills, five blocks and four ace serves. It marks the 21st time this year that Camillo has been in double digits in scoring.

Junior standouts Jennifer Speer and Samantha James also posted another strong performance for the Eagles with eight kills each. Speer added two more blocks for 10 points, with James adding two blocks of her own and an ace serve to end the night with 11 points.

Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles were Senior Callye Herbison with three points, Senior Katie McKinney with two points and Freshman setter Blair O'Brien with one point.

Argyle played Prosper dead even in the first two sets with both games being undecided until the final points.

In the opening set, Speer and James combined for seven kills, with Camillo ending the set with two kills and a block at the net. Argyle jumped out to an early 3-1 lead behind a pair of quick points by James. The two teams remained deadlocked seven different times until the score reached 21-21, but Argyle was unable to put anymore points on the board as Prosper captured the first set 25-21.

Proper's new-found momentum carried into the second set with Prosper taking an early 5-0 lead over the Lady Eagles. Argyle started its come-back attempt as Camillo and James combined on a couple key scores to allow Argyle to climb back in the game at 5-5. Again, the two teams tied the score 10 different times in the set until it ultimately became 22-22, and Argyle's scoring hit a wall as Prosper closed out the game with three straight points to take a two-set lead.

In the third set, Argyle took an early lead at 3-1 and 6-3 behind some explosive kills from James and Speer, along with strong defensive play at the net from Camillo. Camillo would end the set with three blocks and four ace serves to keep Argyle's hopes alive. The two teams evened the score at 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13 before Prosper began to pull away, ultimately taking the third set at 25-17 for the match victory.

Despite the loss, the two teams appeared to be evenly matched for most of the game with Argyle demonstrating its ability to compete with any team in the state.

In addition to its powerful offensive machine, Argyle's defensive play shined at key moments throughout the game, logging 11 blocks at the net for points, and the team's back row handled Prosper's powerful serves and spikes all night long by a core of seniors including Sydney Sanders, Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell.

Another bright spot again for the Eagles was the buzz-saw freshman Blair O'Brien who kept volleys alive through countless defensive digs and sets, in addition to her strong service game. 

The Eagles' record moves to 7-3 in district play and 26-12 on the season as it moves into post-season competition next week. 

   



     

 

By Roger Frizzell  11.3.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles swept Van Alstyne in the opening round of playoffs with a three-set victory (25-11, 25-13, 25-17) to capture the Bi-District Championship for the second year in a row.

Argyle put together one of its best performances of the season with six different Eagles posting scores on the night, led by Junior Jennifer Speer with 17 points and Sophomore Sawyer Camillo with 12 points.

Speer also led the team in kills with 11, in addition to one block at the net for points and a season high of five ace serves, while Camillo landed seven kills, four blocks and an ace serve.

Other point leaders for the Lady Eagles included Junior Samantha James with nine points on seven kills and two service aces, and Senior captain Katy McKinney with five kills and three blocks for a total of eight points.

Rounding out the scoring was Senior Callye Herbison with four points and Freshman Blair O'Brien with one ace serve for points. O'Brien also posted double-digits in assists on the night for the Lady Eagles.

Defensively, the Eagles played well at the net and in the back row. Argyle's front row dominated the Lady Panthers with nine blocks for points, while Senior defensive specialists Sydney Sanders, Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell put together another strong showing for the Eagles.

In the opening set, Argyle started out quickly with scores from Camillo, Speer and James to take a 4-0 lead. Speer joined McKinney and Herbison on the next three points to put the game out of contention early for the Eagles. At 12-4, Speer landed on the first of her five ace serves on the night, followed by two consecutive kills by James to move the score to 15-5. Camillo then connected on two more points for the Eagles before Speer and McKinney finished out the set with kills and a first-set victory at 25-11.

The game was much tighter in the opening portion of the second set as the rowdy Van Alsyne crowd worked to turn momentum in its favor. The score remained tied four different times until it reached 5-5 with the help of a couple big points by Herbison from her middle position.

That's when McKinney caught on fire from her right side position with two kills and a block to give the Eagles some breathing room.

Camillo also got into the act and added three more points for the Eagles to bring the score to 15-8, and then it became the Speer show as the all-district outside hitter landed four of her five kills in the set and an ace serve to move the score to 23-13.  James and McKinney connected for the final points of the set to give the Eagles its second set on the night at 25-13.

Van Alstyne played its best volleyball in the third set as the two teams tied the score nine different times.

The Lady Panthers also took its first lead over Argyle at two different points until Argyle ultimately tied it up at 11-11 and never looked back. Camillo landed three of her biggest spikes of the game in the set, in addition to two huge blocks at the net. Speer, too, added four ace serves in the set to provide some additional cushion in the score for the Eagles. 

Camillo connected on three blocks and a kill at the end of the set to put the game at 24-17 before Speer landed the final kill to give Argyle a three-set sweep over the Lady Panthers.

Argyle heads to the second round of post-season play next Saturday with a 27-12 record on the season. 



 

  By Roger Frizzell  10.20.2009

 Argyle put together another big night to win in a three-set sweep over Gainesville (25-10, 25-10, 25-16).

 The victory puts the Lady Eagles at 26-10 on the season and 6-1 in district play.

 Sophomore Sawyer Camillo was the team's leading scorer with nine kills, two blocks and one ace serve for 12 points.

 Four other Lady Eagles finished the night with seven points each, including Junior Jennifer Speer and Sophmore Rachel Wilkes, as well as Seniors Brittany O'Brien and Meredith Wooley. The game was the best of the season for Wooley, who recently returned to the line-up after being injured.

 Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles was Senior Callye Herbison and Junior Samantha James, each posting four points in the game, with Senior Katie Eckert and Freshman Blair O'Brien ending the night with three points each.

 Argyle also had a fine defensive showing from Seniors Sydney Sanders, Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell, along with setter Blair O'Brien. Both Eckert and O'Brien scored on diving returns that hit pay dirt for the Eagles.

 Eckert and the O'Brien sisters also ended the night with two ace serves each, while Camillo led Argyle's defense at the net with two blocks for points.

 Argyle never trailed in any of the sets as the Lady Eagles continue to build momentum heading into the play-off season.

 Argyle will play Sanger this coming Friday on its home court at 5 p.m. 

By Roger Frizzell  10.24.2009

What started off as a first-set route by Argyle ended up a disappointing 3-1 loss for the Lady Eagles.

Argyle's top-rated volleyball squad put together a sterling 25-12 first-set victory, but was unable to duplicate the performance in the next sets as Sanger bounced back with three straight wins to upset the Eagles on its home court for Homecoming night.

The loss moves the Lady Eagles to 7-2 in district play and 26-11 on the season, overturning an earlier victory over Sanger for Argyle.

The Eagles had many shining moments throughout the game, demonstrating its ability to mount big come-backs, but the gritty play by the Lady Indians was impressive.

Argyle's two leading scorers on the season, Junior Jennifer Speer and Sophomore Sawyer Camillo, both put up big numbers for the Eagles. Speer led the scoring with 18 kills and a block for 19 points, while Camillo landed 13 kills, one block and an ace for 15 points on the night.

The Eagles also had a strong showing from Junior Samantha James with eight points, along with Senior Katie McKinney and Sophomore Rachel Wilkes with four points each. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Senior Callye Herbison with three points and a pair of points by Freshman Blair O'Brien and Senior Katie Eckert.

Ironically, two of the best sets for Speer, Camillo and James came in losing efforts for the Eagles. Speer landed five kills in the second set and eight kills in the fourth. Likewise, Camillo and James combined for six points in the third set with Camillo adding another four kills in the final set.

Throughout the night, Argyle's skill for big plays was made obvious with booming kills in the front row, amazing blocks at the net, powerful serves and dramatic diving saves by the defensive players. But Sanger's consistency in every phase of the game -- and its ability to keep the ball in play -- tested the Lady Eagles all night.

Argyle demonstrated its own ability to fight back with two exciting come-back attempts that nearly turned the tide for the Eagles. In the second set, Argyle was down 16-21 before mounting its charge behind a combination of strong defense and solid kills from the two dandy sophomores, Wilkes and Camillo, winning four big points to bring the game within a point at 23-24. Just when it looked like the Eagles might take over, the error bug bit the Eagles, losing the final points and handing Sanger the set win at 25-23.

In the third set, Argyle came out strong, looking much like it did in the first set, with a 5-1 lead behind a pair of beautiful aces from Eckert. The Eagles expanded its lead to 7-2 behind kills from Camillo and James before Sanger came charging back to tie the score at 8-8. The two teams tied the score four more times until it reached 18-18. Sanger took a narrow one-point lead that it maintained over the next few points until the score reached 22-23 on a powerful kill by Camillo from her middle position. Once again, Sanger's offense responded, taking the final points for the set win (and the match lead) with a 25-22 upset victory.

Sanger jumped out to a four point lead early in the fourth set, but Argyle battled hard to tie the score at 9-9 a series of kills by the dynamic duo of Camillo and Speer, and several nice defensive plays. That's when it all began to unravel for the Eagles and the Lady Indians jumped out with 13 points, most of them unanswered, to give Sanger the lead at 23-14. In an amazing attempt, Argyle bounced back and got back into the game behind kills from McKinney, Camillo, Speer and an ace by James, along with strong defensive play by a core of Seniors, including Eckert, Sydney Sanders, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, along with O'Brien.

With the score now at 24-20, after six points in a row for the Eagles, Argyle looked to two players who have come through consistently all season long for the Eagles.

Camillo, one of the best servers on the team, came to the service line for the Eagles, with O'Brien setting the ball exactly where it need to be -- in the hands of one of district's best players, outside hitter Jennifer Speer. Speer responded in kind, hitting pay-dirt on two massive kills for the Eagles. Once again, in the clutch portion of the game, Argyle climbed to within one point of Sanger at 24-23 (after trailing by nine points late in the game) before the error bug bit once again, stopping Argyle's amazing come-back effort to give Sanger the set win and the match victory at 25-23. The win also sealed a play-off berth for Sanger, joining Argyle and Prosper, in post-season competition.

Even in the upset, the Lady Eagles proved to be a team that has the ability, talent and determination to be a threat for the state crown if it can pull everything together. Argyle's fans stood and applauded its seniors (in their final home game) in appreciation for the outstanding performance during the past few years on the courts in yet another play-off season for the Eagles. 

Special thanks was given to Katie Eckert, Annie Frizzell, Callye Herbison, Natasha Khan, Katie McKinney, Brittany O'Brien, Sydney Sanders and Meredith Wooley, all two-year starters for the Eagles, with McKinney, the team captain, starting on varsity each of the past three seasons.    

The district crown is still in sights for the Lady Eagles as Argyle travels to Prosper next Tuesday at 7 p.m. to finish out its regular season in a bid to avenge an earlier loss to its district rival.  
 

By Roger Frizzell

Argyle's Lady Eagles clinched a play-off berth in post season volleyball play with a hard-fought 3-2 win of Whitesboro (19-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 15-12).

 The victory marked the Argyle's 25th of the season and a 6-1 record in district play.

 Once again, the team's two leading scorers, Sophomore Sawyer Camillo and Junior Jennifer Speer, led the offensive attack for the Eagles, both in double-digit scoring.

 Camillo, who leads the district in blocks (and #11 in all of DFW) with 165 on the season, added nine more to her season tally, in addition to nine kills and two ace serves, to lead Argyle's scoring with 20 points. The performance marked the dandy sophomore's fifth game this season to score 20 points in a single game.

 Junior Samantha James also proved to be a key to Argyle's victory with 14 kills in the last three sets alone to end the game with 15 points. Likewise, Senior Katie Eckert shined from the service line to lead the team with four ace serves and a back-row diving kill for five points on the night.

 Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles were Seniors Katie McKinney and Brittany O'Brien with four points each, and fellow Senior Callye Herbison with one point on the night. In the end, the team's front-row performance proved to be a difference maker in the game, with critical blocks at the net and timely points, to keep the Eagles in contention.

 The win also marked another showcase performance for Freshman Blair O'Brien, who accounted for dozens of assists and outstanding defensive play. O'Brien leads the district in assists with 847, also ranking #9 (regardless of school size) in all of the DFW metroplex. 

 Defensively, each of Argyle's back-row specialists ended the night in double digits for digs and service returns, including Seniors Sydney Sanders, Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, against a hard-hitting Whitesboro team.

 For Argyle, the game opened with both teams playing evenly before Whitesboro went on a 10-point run to break open the set. Speer landed four kills for the Eagles, but the normally-potent offense was unusually quiet as the Lady Cats took the first set 25-19.

 In the second set, the two teams tied the game 17 different times before Argyle broke away at 23-22, finishing out the game with an ace by Camillo and a pair of scores by Speer to capture the win at 25-23. In the set, Camillo and Speer combined for half of Argyle's 25 points.

 Much like the second set, the third set was a nail-biter. Argyle started out strong behind kills by Camillo, James, Speer and Brittany O'Brien to create a brief lead for the Eagles. Camillo also made one of the top plays of the game with a sliding dig that fired up the team (and the Argyle crowd). Whitesboro battled back to tie the score at 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15.

 Speer, last year's all-district selection, then landed two consecutive kills, but the Lady Cats tied the score again at 17-17. That's when James went to work, scoring five of the next six points for the Eagles, but, each time, Whitesboro countered with its own offensive attack to even the score. At 24-24, the Lady Cats landed its best shots of the game, winning the final two points for the third-set victory at 26-24.  

 Down 2-1 in match play, Argyle opened up an early lead in the fourth set behind a big ace serve by Eckert and the dynamic duo of James and Camillo, landing the next eight points for the Lady Eagles. Speer, McKinney and Brittany O'Brien hit pay dirt on big spikes of their own to give Argyle a comfortable lead at 14-5.

 Whitesboro started its own run, but McKinney and James landed two more kills for the Eagles to put the score at 16-8. That's when the Lady Cats stormed back with eight consecutive points to even the game at 16-16 and 17-17. With Sanders serving, Argyle answered back with strong defensive play and kills by James, Camillo and Speer to put Argyle back in the lead for good, ultimately winning the set 25-21.

 With match play tied at two sets each, Argyle started sudden-death play with a bomb landed by James. Once again, Whitesboro fought back and took a lead of its own at 5-2 over the Lady Eagles. Argyle mounted its own come-back, and ultimately tied the score at 5-5. In a see-saw game, the two teams would even the score four times until it reached 11-11.

 Camillo broke the tie with a huge block for the Lady Eagles, followed a kill by James and some outstanding defensive play by McKinney and the back row to give Argyle a 13-11 lead. James then landed three consecutive kills to give Argyle the final set victory at 15-12 and the match win.

 It marked Argyle's second win over Whitesboro team this season, also showcasing the mental toughness of the Lady Eagles and the team's ability to fight back in tough games.

 With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Lady Eagles will take to the court again next Tuesday to face Gainesville on the road at 7 p.m.

By Roger Frizzell  10.13.09

It was Senior Night for the Lady Eagles, but it was balanced team play that led to Argyle's 24th victory of the season in straight sets over Celina.

With eight different Eagles scoring on the night, Argyle soundly defeated Celina for the second time this season, 25-16, 25-14 and 25-20, to move to 5-1 in district play.

Junior standout Jennifer Speer led the scoring for the Lady Eagles with 17 points, while super Sophomore Sawyer Camillo finished the night with 11 points.

Junior Samantha James also landed seven kills in the game, closely followed by Senior Captain Katie McKinney with six kills and fellow Senior Callye Herbison with one kill and three blocks.  Argyle also landed a pair of ace serves from Freshman setter Blair O'Brien and Senior Katie Eckert, along with a kill by Sophomore Rachel Wilkes, to round out the scoring for the Eagles.

A core of Argyle seniors continued to show well in the back row for the Eagles, led by Libero Sydney Sanders and defensive specialists Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, in addition to the outstanding defensive play and setting performance by O'Brien. The Lady Eagles also shined defensively at the net with timely blocks by Speer, Camillo and McKinney, as well as strong play by Seniors Brittany O'Brien and Meredith Wooley.

Before the game, Argyle recognized its senior leaders, applauding their many accomplishments as Lady Eagles. Following the three-set blitz, the home crowd was treated to a special slide show and video, a tribute to each of the seniors on the team.  

For the Lady Eagles, the win over Celina puts the squad one step closer to a play-off birth as the team heads to Whitesboro on Friday for an early 5 p.m. game time. 

 

 

By Roger Frizzell  10.09.2009

Argyle dropped its first district game to Prosper in a wild four-set match (22-25, 25-14, 12-25, 23-25) that remained largely undecided until the very end.

Two of the best teams in the district went head to head before a packed home crowd, and the fans were treated with some of the best volleyball this state has to offer.

Even in the loss, it was evident that the Argyle volleyball team is top contender. The game puts Argyle at 4-1 in district play and 23-10 on the season.

Four different Eagles ended the night in double digits for the second consecutive game, including Sophomore sensation Sawyer Camillo with 13 points, Junior standout Jennifer Speer with 11 points and Junior Samatha James and Senior Katie McKinney both with 10 points each.

In addition, Senior Middle Brittany O'Brien scored four points and fellow Senior Callye Herbison scored two points. Sophomore Rachel Wilkes and Freshman setter Blair O'Brien also landed one kill on the night for the Lady Eagles.

The opening set was a see-saw match for the two teams with Argyle opening up an early 3-0 lead behind a kill from McKinney and two consecutive scores from James. Prosper game roaring back with its own offensive attack, and the two teams tied the score at 7-7 and 8-8 before Prosper went on a run to take a commanding lead at 15-10.

Argyle got back in the game behind a pair of kills from both McKinney and James, along with a block from Camillo to recapture the lead at 17-16. The two teams evened the score five more times until it reached 22-22, but Prosper had the late surge to win out the first set at 25-22.

The second set was all Argyle as the Lady Eagles put together one of its best performances of the season. The two teams played even in the early portions of the set until the score reached 6-6 and Argyle's potent offense took control. The team's leading scorers, Camillo and Speer, both scored five points in the set to lead the Eagles' offensive attack. Blair O'Brien ended the route with an ace serve to give the Eagles the win at 25-14 and even the sets at one each.

Prosper recaptured its own momentum in the third set in a replay of the second set, but this time in favor of Prosper. Unforced errors plagued the Eagles the entire set, never allowing the team to get back in the game. McKinney landed some huge left-handed shots for the Lady Eagles, but it just wasn't enough to overcome Prosper with the Eagles falling 12-25 in the set.

Much like the first set, the fourth set of the game was a wild brawl that saw the lead change hands several times. Speer again had the hot hand for the Lady Eagles with five of her 11 kills on the night. The Eagles appeared to be in good shape at 15-10, but Prosper never said die as they made several outstanding plays of their own to move the score to 15-14.

Argyle showed its own fighting spirit with a great block by Camillo, an ace serve by Senior Katy Eckert and a pair of kills by Speer to widen its lead to 21-16, setting up what appeared to be a certain sudden-death set. However, momentum swung back toward Prosper as point after point seemed to go against the Eagles, and Prosper began to fight its way back into the lead, ultimately winning in come-back fashion at 25-23.

The Eagles performed well at the net all night long with 14 blocks in the game. Camillo led the effort with seven blocks, followed by James with three, Brittany O'Brien with two and sister Blair O'Brien with one, as well as McKinney with one block in the game.

Argyle also logged some stellar moments in the back row behind Libero Sydney Sanders and Defensive Specialists Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, to keep key points alive, but Prosper's strong offensive attack -- combined with the outstanding play by its Libero -- ended up getting the best of the Eagles in the later portions of the game.

The Lady Eagles start the second half of the district season at home on Tuesday night for Senior Night against  Celina at 7 p.m.





   

     

 


 

By Roger Frizzell  10.06.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles overcame a first set deficit to win three sets in a row in an exciting come-back victory over the Sanger Indians.

After losing the first set 19-25, Argyle bounced back to win 28-26, 25-12 and 25-13 to remain undefeated in district competition at 4-0.

For the first time this season, the Lady Eagles had four players in double digits on the night, including Sophomore Sawyer Camillo and Junior Samantha James with 17 points each, along with Senior Katie McKinney with 13 points and Junior Jennifer Speer with 12 points.

Senior Callye Herbison also put together one of her best performances of the year with seven kills, including two blocks at the net, and two service aces.

Camillo and James led the offensive attack for the Eagles, landing 16 kills each in the game. Camillo also led the Eagles in blocks at the net, scoring on six, with at least one successful block in each of the four sets.

One again, Freshman Blair O'Brien was stellar in her performance as the team's setter, making outstanding plays all night long, but the team's youngest player also shined defensively at the net and in the back row, in addition to her strong service game.

Senior Libero Sydney Sanders led Argyle's defensive play with 30 successful passes, joined by defensive specialists Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell, all in double digits again for digs and service returns.

The game began with a bang for Sanger, taking an early 5-1 lead over Argyle on its home court. The Lady Eagles countered with strong defensive play, a kill and and ace by Speer and a block at the net by Camillo to tie the set at 10-10. A series of unforced errors bit the Eagles on the next several plays and the Indians moved ahead 22-14. Argyle continued to battle, aided by four kills by James, but fell short in the end as Sanger ended the first set with a win.

In the second set, the two teams were deadlocked three different times in early play, remaining even at 7-7. Argyle's powerful offense got moving behind the trio of Camillo, Speer and McKinney to provide some breathing room for the Lady Eagles at 17-12 and 20-15, but Sanger continued to make big plays themselves to stay alive. Just when it looks like the Eagles were about to put the set away at 24-20, the Indians fought back to a 25-25 tie and even took a brief lead over the Eagles before Camillo landed two huge kills to put Argyle back in the lead at 27-26. Argyle got a timely block at the net by Herbison to land the final points, giving the Eagles the win to tie the match at one set each.

The third set proved to be one of Argyle's best of the season as the team dominated in every area of the game. It also served as a showcase opportunity for James who landed six kills in the set. Camillo also proved too much for Sanger as the dandy sophomore landed four kills and two blocks for points, while McKinney added three kills of her own and a pair of ace serves as Argyle put Sanger away at 25-12.

In the fourth set, Sanger was simply unable to contain Argyle's new-found momentum, offensively or defensively, as the Eagles took control of the game. James and Speer led Argyle's offensive attack in the set, while Camillo dominated at the net to give the Eagles a comfortable lead the entire set. Everything Argyle touched turned to gold as the Lady Eagles finished out the game with a 25-13 win, posting the team's fourth consecutive victory in district play.

The Lady Eagles will face rival Prosper next Friday at home at 5 p.m. to complete the first half of district competition.

 
 

By Roger Frizzell  9.25.09

Argyle's Lady Eagles opened district volleyball season with an impressive 3-1 win over Celina (25-15, 19-25, 25-14, 25-19) to go 1-0 in district play and 20-9 on the season.

Two of the night's stars for the Eagles were Senior Katie Eckert and Junior Samantha James. Eckert had four aces on the night from the service line and two consecutive sets where her service performance carried the Eagles for 8 points in a row to end critical sets in Argyle's favor. James, too, ended the night with four aces serves, in addition to 12 kills to lead's Argyle's scoring with 16 points.

Argyle also posted strong performances from Junior standout Jennifer Speer, who landed an impressive nine kills and two aces, and Sophomore sensation Sawyer Camillo, returning to the line-up from illness, also scoring nine kills for the Eagles.

Several other Eagles also got into the scoring action, including Senior Callye Herbison with eight points, and Senior Captain Katie McKinney with six points. Freshman Blair O'Brien also racked up four points for the Lady Eagles with one kill, one block and two ace serves.

Defensively, Libero Sydney Sanders led the way for the Eagles with 32 successful returns on the night. Argyle's back row posted another strong night with Seniors Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan, Annie Frizzell and Sanders all in double digits again for digs and service/receive, keeping key points alive all night long.

Argyle opened the first set with an early 2-0 lead with a left-handed bomb by McKinney, followed by an ace serve from Speer to start the Eagles off strong. Three other Lady Eagles got into the action with kills, including Herbison, James and Camillo, to give Argyle some breathing room. At 7-5, Camillo and Speer alternated for two more kills, along with two from Herbison and James. At 16-10, McKinney hit pay-dirt again, with James and Speer closing out the last four points to give the Eagles the first set victory at 25-15.

The two teams remained deadlocked early in the second set with the score tied six different times, ultimately reaching 8-8. Celina went on a scoring run of its own to take a 12-22 lead in the set.  Argyle launched a come-back attempt with six consecutive points, but was unable to overtake the Bobcats, with a second set loss at 18-25.

Much like the second set, the two teams played even throughout the first part of the third set with the score tied again six different times until the score reached 11-11. That's when Argyle took off and never looked back. McKinney led the scoring for the Eagles in the set with three kills before Eckert rolled off a string of solid serves, including two aces, to lead the team to a comfortable third-set win at 25-14.

The fourth set looked a bit scary for the Eagles in the early rounds. Celina jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Herbison got the Eagles on the scoreboard with a kill from her middle position. Jamison then landed the first of her six kills in the set, followed by an ace serve by Speer, to bring the Eagles within reach of the Bobcats. Jamison landed another big kill and Eckert served up an ace to tie the game at 7-7. Setter Blair O'Brien landed a timely block to even the score again at 8-8.

The two teams traded scores back and forth again until the game reached 13-13. Celina then hit on four consecutive points to take the lead at 13-17 before Argyle came roaring back with a huge spikes by Speer and James to start Argyle's rally. Eckert, again, came to the service line with the score 18-19 in favor of the Bobcats. With stingy defensive play, Eckert's strong service game and three kills by James, the Eagles rolled off the next eight points for the final 25-19 victory and its first win in district play.

Argyle plays again at home next Tuesday night against Whitesboro.
 

By Roger Frizzell  08.15.09

In a contest between two of the best volleyball teams in Texas, Lovejoy High School ended as the victor in a hard-fought three-set win over Argyle (16-25, 17-25, 19-25).

The Lady Eagles performed well on the court, demonstrating playoff potential throughout the match, but were unable to overcome Lovejoy's powerful front row offensive attack late in each set.

The two teams battled furiously for every single point -- with many requiring multiple volleys -- before a point was finally decided. Argyle also showed strength in its defensive play and at the net all night long, with both squads committing very few unforced errors during the game.

Argyle played even with the defending state champions for much of the second and third sets, with the score tied at the mid-point in both, and the Eagles even captured a brief lead in the third set before Lovejoy stormed back to overcome the Lady Eagles in the final points of each game.

All-district standout Jennifer Speer put together an outstanding showing with nine kills on the night, followed by Senior Captain Katie McKinney and Junior Samantha James, each with seven kills to lead the Eagles. 

Argyle also had key scores from Sophomore point-leader Sawyer Camillo and Senior Callye Herbison, each with three kills on the night, along with Senior Brittany O'Brien with two kills in the game. McKinney and Speer also led the team in blocks at the net for points in a game that featured the best in 3A volleyball on both sides of the court. 

One of the bright spots on the night was Argyle's back row play off dozens of blasts by Lovejoy's front row, led by Libero Sydney Sanders and defensive specialists Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell, each in double-digits in digs and service returns. Freshman setter Blair O'Brien, too, played extremely well on both offense and defense, battling hard for each and every point and assisting in dozens of scores.

With the loss, the Lady Eagles' record moves to 19-8 on the season, but the team continues to show plenty of promise for the upcoming district season.

Argyle travels to Decatur this coming Friday for its next volleyball outing as the team looks to bring home its 20th victory of the year.   
Argyle Showcases Team Strength in Loss to Lovejoy
By Roger Frizzell

In a contest between two of the best volleyball teams in Texas, Lovejoy High School ended as the victor in a hard-fought three-set win over Argyle (16-25, 17-25, 19-25).

The Lady Eagles performed well on the court, demonstrating playoff potential throughout the match, but were unable to overcome Lovejoy's powerful front row offensive attack late in each set.

The two teams battled furiously for every single point -- with many requiring multiple volleys -- before a point was finally decided. Argyle also showed strength in its defensive play and at the net all night long, with both squads committing very few unforced errors during the game.

Argyle played even with the defending state champions for much of the second and third sets, with the score tied at the mid-point in both, and the Eagles even captured a brief lead in the third set before Lovejoy stormed back to overcome the Lady Eagles in the final points of each game.

All-district standout Jennifer Speer put together an outstanding showing with nine kills on the night, followed by Senior Captain Katie McKinney and Junior Samantha James, each with seven kills to lead the Eagles.

Argyle also had key scores from Sophomore point-leader Sawyer Camillo and Senior Callye Herbison, each with three kills on the night, along with Senior Brittany O'Brien with two kills in the game. McKinney and Speer also led the team in blocks at the net for points in a game that featured the best in 3A volleyball on both sides of the court.

One of the bright spots on the night was Argyle's back row play off dozens of blasts by Lovejoy's front row, led by Libero Sydney Sanders and defensive specialists Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell, each in double-digits in digs and service returns. Freshman setter Blair O'Brien, too, played extremely well on both offense and defense, battling hard for each and every point and assisting in dozens of scores.

With the loss, the Lady Eagles' record moves to 19-8 on the season, but the team continues to show plenty of promise for the upcoming district season.

Argyle travels to Decatur this coming Friday for its next volleyball outing as the team looks to bring home its 20th victory of the year.
 

By Roger Frizzell  9.18.09

With its top scorer missing from the game, Argyle put together a competitive outing, but could not overcome a talented Decatur team in front of its home crowd.

Decatur defeated Argyle in three straight sets (23-25, 20-25, 13-25) to avenge last year's loss, putting the Eagles season record to 19-9.

Argyle hit the courts without talented Sophomore middle Sawyer Camillo and fellow Sophomore Madison Hoover, but Junior standout Jennifer Speer helped fill the void with a stellar performance in one of her best games of the season.

Speer accounted for nearly half of Argyle's total kills on the night with 16.

Senior Katie McKinney and Junior Samantha James also showed well for the Eagles with seven kills each, followed by Seniors Brittany O'Brien and Callye Herbison with three points each. Rounding out the scoring for Argyle was Sophomore Rachel Wilkes and Blair O'Brien with one kill each.

Decatur took an early lead in the first set with a 11-5 lead before Argyle came roaring back to showcase its own power offense and defensive skills. Behind a pair of blocks by Jamison, coupled with three spikes by Speer and another block by Brittany O'Brien, the Eagles ultimately tied the score at 21-21.

Argyle was able to land two more kills near the end of the set, one by Speer and the other by Blair O'Brien, but was unable to overtake Decatur in the final points, dropping the set 23-25. In the set, Speer landed six kills with McKinney and James landing two each.

In the second set, the score between the two teams remained close the entire time, with Decatur always finding a way to stay a point or two up on Argyle. Speer, again, was on fire the entire set, scoring nine of her 16 kills, including five consecutive kills to keep the Eagles in contention. McKinney and James combined for five more points of their own, but Decatur made a hard charge at the end of the set to beat the Eagles 25-20.

Argyle battle hard in the third set, with an early 5-5 tie, but never really challenged Decatur for the rest of the set. McKinney led the Eagles in scoring in the set with two of her patented left-handed spikes, but the rest of the Eagles offense fell flat.

Argyle continued to show well in the back row behind its core of seniors with Sydney Sanders, Katie Eckert, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell. Decatur's front row pounded shots at the Eagles all night long, but Argyle answered back with scrappy defensive play, blocks and acrobatic saves.

Argyle's youngest team member, Freshman Blair O'Brien, continued to shine every facet of the game. O'Brien, along with Camillo, are featured in the Dallas Morning News as two of the top leaders in the area (regardless of class) for sets and blocks.

http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/schoolinfo.htm?propertyId=1&schoolId=0&infoType=areaStatLeaders&areaGroupId=377&sportId=5&more=1
  


After two tough losses, Argyle has an open date next Tuesday before heading to Celina next Friday for the opening of district competition.

By Roger Frizzell  9.08.2009

Argyle's Lady Eagles fell to a tough Pottsboro team in four sets (24-26, 25-19, 20-25, 21-25) on the road to bring the team's season record to 18-7.

The game included several great moments for the Eagles, but Argyle was unable to capitalize on key opportunities, ultimately giving way to Pottsboro's powerful offensive attack.

Two Eagles finished the night in double digits with Super Sophomore Sawyer Camillo and Senior Brittany O'Brien each scoring 11 points on the night. Senior Katie McKinney landed eight kills on the night from her right side position, while Junior Jennifer Speer finished the game with six kills.

Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Junior Samantha James with three points, along with Sophomores Madison Hoover and Rachel Wilkes with two points each. Freshman setter Blair O'Brien and Senior Katie Eckert finished with one point each.

Pottsboro opened the game strong, jumping out to a quick 4-1 lead. Argyle battled back to tie the score nine different times behind kills from McKinney, Camillo, James and Speer until the score eventually reached 24-24. Pottsboro managed to break Argyle's serve, and then added a final kill to take the set from the Eagles at 24-26.

In the second set, Middle Blocker Brittany O'Brien led Argyle's offensive attack, scoring five consecutive points, alongside Speer, who finished with three kills of her own to set the pace for the Lady Eagles. At one point, Argyle led 19-6, but the Lady Cardinals came charging back to narrow the score at 23-19. Argyle's dynamic duo of Camillo and Speer teamed up, once again, to score the final two points, giving Argyle the second set victory.

Tied at 1-1 in overall sets, Argyle started the third set with two big power shots by McKinney, but Pottsboro charged back, taking control of the set with a 11-2 lead. Hoover landed a couple of key kills for the Eagles to start Argyle's come-back attempt, aided by three impressive kills by Camillo.

Brittany O'Brien, in one of her best games on the season, again rolled off five consecutive points in the set to bring Argyle within three points of Pottsboro at 14-17. Despite the team's heroic efforts, Argyle couldn't hold off the Lady Cardinals late attack, ultimately losing 20-25.

In the fourth and final set, Argyle jumped out ahead with its own offensive attack to an 11-6 lead. While six different players scored for the Eagles, none could put together more than two points in the set, providing a window of opportunity for Pottsboro to reestablish its game.

With the set tied at 14-14, the two teams evened the score five different times until they remained deadlocked at 20-20. Again, the Lady Cardinals mounted a late-game siege, and overtook the Eagles in final points to win the match.

Unlike many of Argyle's recent games, the Lady Eagles were only able to post two ace serves on the night, in contrast to nine service errors. Likewise, the team showed well at the net, accounting for eight blocks for points, but was unable to slow down Pottsboro's all-conference middle who posted a big night for the Lady Cardinals. 

While still missing its all-district Libero, Sydney Sanders, Argyle played well in the back row, making impressive digs and passes, while also keeping important points alive. Seniors Natasha Khan, Annie Frizzell and Katie Eckert again finished the night in double digits for digs for the Lady Eagles.

Argyle plays on the road again for the Eagles in an early volleyball game this Friday against Bridgeport. 

See Slide show in Photo section

By Roger Frizzell 09.11.09

Bouncing back from a tough loss earlier in the week, Argyle showcased its team strength in a three-set sweep over Bridgeport in front of the Bulls home crowd.

The Lady Eagles won 25-21, 25-12 and 25-22 to capture its 19th volleyball victory of the season.

The team's leading scorer, Sophomore Sawyer Camillo, landed 14 points in the game, including two ace serves and five blocks at the net for points. It marked Camillo's 12th game to be in double digits, giving the talented middle more than 250 points on the season.

Junior Samantha James also put together another strong showing for the Eagles with seven kills, five in the first set alone. Seniors Katie McKinney and Callye Herbison, along with Junior Jennifer Speer, each landed five kills against the Bulls.

Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Senior Katie Eckert with four ace serves on the night. Likewise, Senior Brittany O'Brien landed four points, Sophomore Rachel Wilkes finished with two points and defensive specialists, Natasha Khan and Annie Frizzell, each ending the night with a back-row kill in the game.

Freshman standout Blair O'Brien continued to be outstanding in her setter position, helping the team both offensively and defensively. The outing also marked the return of Senior Sydney Sanders, back from injury after being out for several games.

Argyle started out strong in the first set with back-to-back kills by McKinney and James. James landed another of her five kills in the set before Camillo posted the first of several key blocks on the night. That's when Eckert took control with three powerful aces from the service line, and the Eagles never looked back.

Camillo and James combined for the next three points before Brittany O'Brien connected with two back-to-back kills and an ace serve to widen the lead for the Eagles.  McKinney and James hit pay dirt again before Eckert served up another ace, leading to a final kill by Camillo to give the Eagles a first set victory at 25-21.

Again, in the second set, the Lady Eagles started strong with two kills by Herbison from her middle position and a pair of kills by Wilkes. Following another big block by Camillo, Speer landed two of her three kills in the set. Herbison hit another two kills and Camillo finished it out with a block and a kill to give Argyle a 25-12 win in the set. 

Bridgeport fired out strong in the third set with three unanswered points, and then took a 3-6 lead before James got into the action with a block to start to turn the momentum back towards the Lady Eagles. McKinney landed a left-handed power shot to bring Argyle within one point at 5-6.

Camillo landed a huge kill -- a sonic boom heard throughout the city -- to give Argyle its first lead in the set, followed by a timely ace serve by James. All-district standout, Jennifer Speer, then connected on two key kills for the Eagles, while Camillo launched three more bombs to tie the game at 14-14.

After a furious set of volleys by both teams, Frizzell ended up with her first kill of the night from the back row to tie the game at 15-15. Herbison and McKinney landed shots to even up the game again at 19-19. James added two more kills for the Eagles from her outside hitter position, and Camillo added her fifth kill of the set before Khan got her first points of the game.

With Bridgeport mounting its own come-back with the game at 24-22, Speer landed the final kill of the night to give Argyle a three-set win over the Bulls.

Argyle returns to its home court next Tuesday night to face returning state champions, LoveJoy, at 7 p.m. 
 

By Roger Frizzell 8.29.09

Bouncing back from an early loss, Argyle went on to win the consolation finals in the annual Argyle Tournament.

The Lady Eagles lost a heart-breaker to Liberty Christian in five sets (19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 13-25, 10-15) before defeating Bowie in four sets (21-25, 26-24, 25-22) to set up its consolation finals victory over Princeton (25-21, 25-21, 25-21).

The team's leading scorers, Sophomore Sawyer Camillo and Junior Jennifer Speer, combined for 74 points on the day (and 137 total points for the two throughout the tournament). Camillo finished the day with 41 kills and three ace serves, while Speer landed 28 kills and two aces.

With Freshman Blair O'Brien back healthy and into the line-up, Senior Katie McKinney moved back into her right side position to account for 24 kills on the day, along with Sophomore Madison Hoover with 19 points, Senior Callye Herbison with 17 points, Junior Samantha James with 14 points and Senior Brittany O'Brien with six points.

Along with strong offensive play, Argyle's defensive efforts at the net was one of the highlights of the tournament for the Eagles, resulting in 39 blocks at the net for points.

While the Lady Eagles played like a championship team throughout the tourney, it also was plagued by unforced errors that are often typical in the early season, keeping the team from putting away opponents in key situations.  However, the Lady Eagles bounced back, time after time, showcasing its winning attitude and competitive spirit.

Argyle opened the final day of tournament play in the Championship Gold Bracket against a strong Liberty Christian squad that had gone undefeated in pool play. The Lady Eagles struggled in the first set, losing 19-25, but came back strong in game two to defeat the Warriors 25-19 with both Speer and Herbison landing four kills each.  Argyle remained hot in the third set, winning 25-16, with Camillo and McKinney scoring big for the Eagles.

Unforced errors, however, got the best of Argyle in the fourth set, breathing new life into Liberty Christian. The Lady Warriors kept its momentum in the fifth and final set, winning the sudden death match with a 10-15 score. Camillo led the team's scoring in the game with 13 kills and an ace serve, followed by McKinney who landed a season-high 12 points in the game.

Moving into the consolation bracket, Argyle faced another tough assignment against Bowie High School, a team that went deep into last year's play-offs, returning all but one player. Bowie jumped out quickly on Argyle, capturing the first set, but Argyle responded strong, winning the next three sets to capture the victory.

Camillo, again, led the team in scoring with 21 total points, including six blocks at the net for points. Madison Hoover also put together her best outing of the year with 11 kills, while Speer and McKinney both landed eight kills in the game.

Argyle ended the game with 12 blocks at the net for points from its front row, while the back row played to form behind Sydney Sanders, Natasha Khan, Annie Frizzell and Katie Eckert, all in double digits for digs and service returns, along with strong play from setter Blair O'Brien in every facet of the game.

The win moved Argyle into the consolation finals, setting up rematch from last week against Princeton.  Once again, the Lady Eagles defeated Princeton in three straight sets, but each game went to the very end before deciding the victor.

Libero Sydney Sanders was set out of the game due to injury, moving Khan into the Libero position. Khan did well in the role with more than 20 digs as the Eagles put together another strong defensive showing in the back row to combine with the team's aggressive offensive play by Speer, Camillo, Herbison and the rest of the Eagle front.

Speer ended the game in double digits with 11 kills to lead the Lady Eagles in scoring, while Camillo added another seven kills to her growing tally. Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles was Herbison with six points, Hoover with five, James with four points, Brittany O'Brien with three kills, along with Blair O'Brien, Khan and Eckert all scoring ace serves. In all, Argyle landed nine ace serves in the game to help lead the team to victory.

The Lady Eagles, now 16-6 on the season, will play next Tuesday evening at home against Bowie.       

 

  






  

 




 

By Roger Frizzell   09.01.2009

For the second time in the past week, Argyle's Lady Eagles defeated Bowie High School on its home court in three straight sets (25-15, 25-18, 25-23).

Once again, Sophomore Sawyer Camillo led the team in scoring with 15 kills, including four blocks at the net for points. Junior Samantha James also put together one of her best games on the season with 11 kills and an ace serve, while Senior Katie McKinney ended the game with seven kills on the night.

Junior Jennifer Speer added to the Eagles power offense with five kills of her own, joined by Senior Callye Herbison with four kills and an ace serve, and Sophomore Madison Hoover, who ended the night with two points for the Lady Eagles.

Argyle landed seven ace serves in the game, led by Freshman setter Blair O'Brien, who provided three ace serves, along with Senior Katie Eckert, Herbison and James, all with one ace each.

Senior Libero Natasha Khan also posted one of her best games of the year with more than 50 digs on the night. O'Brien, too, had one of her best nights of the season with dozens of assists and terrific defensive play for the Eagles.

In the first set, Argyle jumped out to a comfortable lead on early power shots by Herbison, McKinney and Camillo, and timely ace serves by Eckert and Hoover. Bowie battled back, but couldn't overcome Argyle's offensive attack and strong defensive play. Camillo ended the set with four kills for the Eagles, while Speer added three to help the Eagles off to a strong start.

One of the more comical moments in the set was made by Madison Hoover when the ball bounced off her foot, incredibly making it over the net, leading to an important score for the Eagles.

Again, in the second set, Argyle started off strong and was never seriously challenged the remainder of the set. James rolled off seven kills for the Eagles, joined by Camillo with five kills (and three big blocks at the net) and McKinney with four kills. Somewhat fittingly, Argyle finished out the set with another big kill by James to go up 2-0 in the game.

In the third and final set, a series of unforced errors by the Eagles provided Bowie with the early lead. At one point, Bowie led the Lady Eagles by 17-6 before Argyle launched a fierce come-back with a one-two punch from Camillo, who landed six kills, and James, who added another four kills of her own.

With scrappy defense from a host of Eagles, Argyle kept the game in contention, finally evening the set at 23-23. Then, Camillo and James landed the final two points of the game to give the Eagles its 17th win on the season.

Argyle will play at home again on Friday night against Burkburnett.

    

 

 

By Roger Frizzell 8.28.09

NEWS ARTICLE IN DAILY SENTINEL....NACOGDOCHES NEW PAPER

http://www.dailysentinel.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2009/08/22/nac_volleyball_sat.html

By Roger Frizzell 8.20.09

Behind a strong power offense and aggressive defensive play, Argyle's Lady Eagles volleyball team put together one of its best performances of the season, downing Nacogdoches High School in three straight sets (25-13, 25-19, 25-9).

Once again, super Sophomore Sawyer Camillo and Junior standout Jennifer Speer led the scoring for the Eagles. Camillo landed 13 kills (including three blocks at the net for points) and one ace serve to end the game with 14 points.

Speer, too, finished the game in double digits with 11 kills on the night and two ace serves for 13 total points. Both players are already approaching the 150 points mark on the season with Camillo at 149 points and Speer at 140 points.

Junior newcomer Samantha James also posted one of her best games of the year with 10 kills, along with fellow newcomer, Sophomore Madison Hoover, who ended the night with seven kills and two ace serves.

Seniors Katie McKinney and Callye Herbison finished with two points each, while Seniors Brittany O'Brien and Natasha Khan finished with one kill each. Fellow Seniors Katie Eckert and Sydney Sanders also posted ace serves in the game.

The Eagles were never in any trouble in any of the three sets with a commanding lead in each. Early in the second set, however, Nacogdoches battle to a tie the game five separate times, but the Eagles opened up the game in its favor with kills by Hoover (who posted seven kills in the second set alone), as well as big kills by Camillo and Speer.

Defensively, the Eagles put together one of its best showings on the year with all four back row players, Sanders, Khan, Eckert and Frizzell, finishing in double digits for digs and service returns.

Likewise, Argyle showed well in the service game with eight aces, in addition to the team's intimidating defensive play at the net behind the strength of Camillo and O'Brien in the middle, and strong play on the corners by Speer, Herbison, Hoover, McKinney and James.

Going into the beginning of the school year, Argyle already has posted an impressive record of 11-4 on the season. The Lady Eagles will play again next Tuesday night at home against Peaster.

 

    
  
 

By Roger Frizzell  8.18.09

Avenging last year's loss in the regional semi-finals, Argyle's Lady Eagles defeated Princeton High School in three straight sets 25-13, 25-14, 25-15, to bring its season record to 7-2.

Sophomore Sawyer Camillo led the scoring for the Eagles with 18 kills and two ace serves on the game. It marked the second time this season that Camillo has hit the 20 point mark in a single game. In addition, Camillo hit the 100 point mark for the Eagles in scoring, an impressive feat in early season play.

Junior standout Jennifer Speer also posted another strong game for the Lady Eagles, landing eight kills of her own, followed by Senior Katie McKinney with five kills.

Argyle also showed well in the service game with 11 aces on the night. Five of those aces came from Sophomore Rachel Wilkes and another three were delivered by Junior Samantha James. In addition, James also ended the game with four kills from her outside hitter position.

Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles was Senior Callye Herbison with two kills and Brittany O'Brien with one kill.

Once again, the Eagles demonstrated strong defensive skills in the back row with Senior Libero Sydney Sanders, along with defensive specialists Natasha Khan, Katie Eckert and Annie Frizzell.

One setback for Argyle was the temporary loss of Freshman setter Blair O'Brien who left the game in the second set with a sprained ankle. O'Brien had already posted one kill and one ace serve before being forced to leave the game. McKinney, normally a right side hitter, was able to take over the role for the remainder of the game to help lead the Eagles to victory.

The Lady Eagles will play again on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Nacogdoches in the Attack in Nac Tourney before returning for home play on Tuesday, Aug. 25, against Peaster.


 

By Roger Frizzell 8.15.09

Following a big win Friday night, Argyle's Lady Eagles continued to shine on Saturday to close out the annual Denton Ryan Volleyball Tournament on a high note with two more victories under their belt.

Argyle downed Corsicana in three straight sets (25-10, 25-20 and 25-11) and then handled a talented Desoto team
in three sets (25-13, 26-24, 25-12) to bring its season record to 6-2.

A strong service game and team balance was the winning formula against Corsicana as seven players landed multiple kills and five team members added ace serves to bring home the victory for the Eagles.

Senior Katie McKinney was the team leader on the game with six kills, followed by Sophomore Sawyer Camillo, Junior Jennifer Speer and Senior Callye Herbison with five kills each. Sophomore Rachel Wilkes ended the game with four ace serves and three kills, while Junior Samantha James finished with five points of her own on four kills and one service ace.

Rounding out the scoring for the Eagles was Senior Brittany O'Brien and sister Blair O'Brien with two kills each, and Senior Katie Eckert with an ace serve.

A few hours later, Argyle moved into the consolation finals of the tournament bracket again Desoto.

This time, it was the dynamic duo of McKinney and Speer who led the team in scoring, each landing 10 kills, with Camillo adding another eight kills to her growing tally to boost Argyle's potent offensive machine.

Outside hitters James and Wilkes also came up big again for the Eagles with five kills each, as well Brittany and Blair O'Brien, who combined for five kills, and Herbison with a single kill and strong blocking at the net.

As in the earlier match, Argyle's strong service game again played an important role with nine ace serves posted for the Eagles.

But it was Argyle's acrobatic defensive play that proved to be the difference with Blair O'Brien, Eckert, Sanders, Khan and Frizzell undertaking amazing digs, slides, rolls and countless saves to keep Desoto's power offense from gaining any real traction in the game.

The Lady Eagles take to the volleyball court again in an away game next Tuesday against perennial powerhouse Princeton.    


 

By Roger Frizzell 8.14.09

By Roger Frizzell 8.13.09
 

Several Lady Eagles were recognized for outstanding play this year by not only by the coaches of district 9-3A, but the Denton Record-Chronicle as well.

Sawyer Camillo - Sophomore - District 9-3A Defensive Player of the Year, Denton Record-Chronicle First Team All-Area

Blair O'Brien - Freshman - District 9-3A Newcomer of the Year and Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area Newcomer of the Year

Jennifer Speer - Junior - District 9-3A First Team, Denton Record-Chronicle 2nd Team All-Area

District 9-3A Second team:

Samantha James - Junior
Katie Eckert - Senior

District 9-3A Honorable Mention:

Katie McKinney - Senior
Natasha Kahn - Senior
Annie Frizzell - Senior

Lady Eagles face Commerce in the Regional quarterfinals Monday night 7:00 at Princeton

READ ABOUT THE AREA ROUND WIN HERE:

http://argyle.prepsportsystems.com/page/show/13863-volleyball

Lady Eagles advance to regional semi-finals Friday night at 7 pm.  

READ ABOUT THE REGIONAL QUARTER-FINALS WIN HERE:

http://argyle.prepsportsystems.com/page/show/13863-volleyball

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_Argylevball_1110.29f95916c.html

Great Season for Argyle Volleyball comes to an end.  See articles below:

http://argyle.prepsportsystems.com/page/show/13863-volleyball

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/highschools/stories/drc_argylevball_1114.2b4ad53c7.html