Photo credit: Tony Corso

Prairiland senior Taylor Skidmore tries to block an Aubrey kill attempt during Tuesday's regional quarterfinal match at Bells High School. Skidmore had five kills, but the Lady Pats were unable to continue their season in a 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 loss to the Lady Chaparrals.

The Lady Chaparrals also had the experience, with seniors comprising all but two spots on their roster, and 6-foot Jac Bullock was too much to overcome at the net with her 15 kills in a 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 win to eliminate Prairiland (32-11) for the second time in as many seasons after its victory last season in the area round.

Aubrey (34-9) advances to the Class 2A Region II Tournament at the Garland Special Events Center where it plays Crawford at 3 p.m. for the right to play the Pottsboro-Quitman winner in the 2 p.m. regional final on Saturday. Kelsey Lynn finished with 34 assists, Kelly Guttuso had eight kills and Jennifer Robbins added 13 service points and six kills for the Lady Chaparrals.

“Our girls were on target tonight, and Kelsey did a good job of setting up our hitters and spreading the ball around the net,” Aubrey third-year coach Joe Bullard said. “We had high expectations this year, and our girls know if they can keep the right mindset, they’re capable of doing something very special.” Aubrey scored the first point in all three games and jumped out to an 8-3 lead in Game 1 behind the serving of Anaith Cisneros. Taylor Skidmore’s block and a pair of Kelti Mowery service points kept the Lady Patriots within three points, but Robbins served 10 straight points and combined with the strong net play of Bullock and Cadyrose Phillips to push the advantage to 20-7.

Two Prairiland errors closed out Game 1, as Lynn had 11 assists and Bullock seven kills in the win.

“It was about trying to concentrate on the game and not focusing on them,” Skidmore said.

Aubrey used four service points from Lynn in Game 2 to again lead 8-3. Courtney Daniel assisted Mowery for a pair of kills, and Sara Beth Upchurch set up Skidmore for a kill, as the Lady Pats twice pulled within six.

Prairiland got as close as five points at 16-11 on kills by Mowery and 5-foot-9 junior Allison Wolf, but the Lady Chaparrals scored eight of the next 10 to set up game point, including Lynn’s assist to Jamie Teague. Phillips slammed home the game winner for the 2-0 advantage.

“They were really good at the net,” Mowery said. “We did our best, but things didn’t fall the way we wanted.”

Payton Connot’s service point, Brittany Black’s kill and a Kaylee Oats block kept things close for the Lady Pats in Game 3. Kelsey Klingler set up Mowery for a kill, as Game 3 was tied on seven occasions, including 9-9 on a kill by Robbins.

Aubrey began to pull away with a stretch in which it scored 11 of the next 14 points on six Bullock kills, two by Guttuso and another from sophomore Kayla Bernard for a 20-12 lead.

Prairiland senior Jenniffer Justice set up Wolf for a kill, and Oats added one of her own to keep the Lady Pats within six late, but a pair of kills by Aubrey junior Schyler Nelson set up game point, where an error sealed the match.

“I look up to my (senior) teammates, and I couldn’t afford to go out there and be afraid of making mistakes when coach gave me a chance,” Nelson said. “We went out there, worked hard and won.”

Aubrey has gotten the best of Prairiland the last three seasons, including last year’s area-round volleyball match and the state semifinal softball game of 2007. Lady Pats coach Brandon Oats simply did what he does best in leading the Lady Pats to another 30-win season alongside assistant Mendy Cole.

“We have different players every year, so you can’t say whether one team is better than the other,” Oats said. “Aubrey is a good offensive, senior-oriented team and did a good job of building around No. 14 (Bullock). Our girls won 32 matches this year, and they should be proud of that accomplishment.”

It was the final match for the senior trio of Mowery, Skidmore and Justice, a group that kept the program’s tradition alive and will have its own memories in the years to come.

“There’s no reason to hold our heads down,” Skidmore said. “We all went out and did our best.”

Mowery wiped away the tears and said the shock of competing for the last time hasn’t really sunk in yet.

“You always know it could be your last match, but it’s something you can’t really prepare for,” Mowery said. “We were the Three Amigos, and although things didn’t fall the way we wanted, we gave it our all.”