Brandeis' unlikely playoff run ends against Westlake in state quarterfinals

Brandeis' Allison Rogers gets the ball over the reach of two Westlake defenders during their 6A Division II state quarterfinal volleyball match Tuesday evening at Canyon High School in New Braunfels (Robin Jerstad/For the Express-News) NEW BRAUNFELS - Brandeis' long playoff run was fueled by resiliency and hope. And, for a moment on Tuesday, it seemed those two things could carry the Broncos to a stunning upset against state-ranked Austin Westlake.But, the Chaparrals' size and power were too much against the determined Broncos in a 25-12, 25-22, 28-26 victory in the Class 6A Division II state quarterfinals at Canyon High School."We went in thinking we were going to start off a lot stronger than we did," Brandeis junior Allison Rodgers said. "And when we started to finally pick it up, I think it was too late."Westlake (40-9), ranked No. 7 in 6A by Texas Volleyball Insiders, next faces No. 12 Katy Tompkins in the state semifinals.The Chaps seized control early, jumping to a 13-2 lead to open the match. The Broncos found their legs and developed some confidence in the second set as they tussled back-and-forth. Westlake went on a 4-0 run when it was tied at 14 to swing momentum to its favor to close it out.Brandeis made a hard charge in the third set as it battled back after trailing 18-12. The Broncos erased two match points on kills from Rodgers that that tied it at 26. Sophomore Geralynn Byers-Veal gave the Chaps their third set point with a kill that made it 27-26. She then served an ace that sealed it.The unranked Broncos ended their season at 33-14 as they made their deepest playoff run since they won the Class 6A state championship in 2021 with a 47-3 record.The good news for Brandeis is it is expected to return a majority of its team. The Broncos' top eight attackers, led by Rodgers and juniors Cecily Alva and Olivia Munoz, are all underclassmen. Freshman setter Addison Wells enjoyed a breakout season, entering Tuesday's match with 1,407 assists, which is the second most in the state."Nearly 1,500 assists as a freshman is insane," Rodgers said of Wells.Sophomore libero Adalin Gutierrez built on a successful freshman season in which she was selected the district's newcomer of the year. Brandeis players Olivia Munoz and Madeleine Gibson react after losing in three games to Westlake during their 6A Division II state quarterfinal volleyball match Tuesday evening at Canyon High School in New Braunfels (Robin Jerstad/For the Express-News) "It was fantastic to see the growth every one of these girls has gone through," Rodgers said. "The best thing we can do as upperclassmen is be kind as people and to build this foundation of a team based on pure love for each other. I think we did a good job of making everyone feel they are part of this team. Our culture is very established in resilience, and we are a team that fights until the very end."Rodgers and Alva credited Wells for keeping the team together, which was an impressive feat for a freshman."Having a setter that doesn't get frazzled is one in a million," Rodgers said. "She came in and did the best she could have done. Like 100 percent. And I think that our response to her personality and to her playing style is what got us as far as we went."Wells said it was easy to fit and feel comfortable with her older teammates."Brandeis has a really good culture, and it's a really good program," Wells said. "I felt confident coming into the season. The seniors and upperclassmen did a really good job of making me feel welcome. They made me feel comfortable on the court and I felt our connection growing."The Broncos showed that early in starting the season 6-0. Brandeis then hit a dry spell losing nine of its next 12 matches. The Broncos then opened District 28-6A play 1-2 before winning 11 in a row to gain a share of the league title with Reagan."We knew if we lost another match, we were not going to be first in district and that was definitely one of our goals, especially after tournament season," Alva said. "We were in our little slump there, but coming into district, we came out fighting strong."With this season's unlikely state quarterfinal run under their belts, the Broncos are setting high goals for next year."We did amazing things this season that we probably didn't think we could have done and coming into next season, our mentality is going to be stronger," Wells said. "We're going to be more confident. We're going to work hard to push, and I think we are going to really come in strong as a team."SubscribeThere’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Brandeis' unlikely playoff run ends against Westlake in state quarterfinals.