The Galveston County Daily News

PEARLAND — Scott Simonds could only shake his head and blame himself.

Just one season removed from the state tournament, with three seniors committed to play volleyball at the next level and certainly more among the underclassmen, the Lady Wildcats believed another deep playoff run was possible. The 2009 motto, written on the back of their shirts, read “Dynasty.”

Clear Creek (29-13) never gave itself a chance. The first-round playoff loss to Fort Bend Dulles (31-11) — the earliest Lady Wildcat exit from the postseason since 2004, Simonds’ first year as coach — only provided a microcosm for what could have been.

The Lady Vikings pounded Creek for its costly mistakes with big runs to end the Lady Wildcats’ hopes of a dynasty Tuesday, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-15.

“This team is too talented not to make it past the first round,” Simonds said. “That falls on me, the coach.”

Creek actually held a lead at one point in every game, but the inability to get side outs, compounded by errors, doomed the Lady Wildcats. Creek surrendered runs of five straight points or greater in every game and committed 36 unforced errors.

Dulles’ offense made Creek pay with three girls who had eight kills or more. The Lady Wildcats defense couldn’t slow them down, either, with just eight blocks, the first of which came midway though Game 2.

“We couldn’t side out, we committed too many errors and we weren’t able to get blocks,” Simonds said. “They had big, long runs.”

Creek actually led by four points at three different points during Game 1. But with a 16-12 advantage, the Lady Vikings stormed back.

Sarah Behrens got two kills and then served up an ace to tie it at 16. After two more ties, Dulles closed out the game on a 7-3 run. The Lady Wildcats committed two attacking errors in the final three points.

Creek came back more poised in a back-and-forth Game 2 that featured seven ties and six lead changes. Senior Cherish Krohn, along with Amanda Watson, provided the spark.

With a monster right-handed kill, Krohn tied the game at 20 and then sandwiched two more around a Watson block to give Creek a 3-point lead along with the win.

The Lady Wildcats seemed to carry that momentum to Game 3 as they got out to an 11-7 lead. But Dulles responded with a 7-0 run thanks to two Creek attack errors and a penalty.

That sucked the life out of Creek. Senior and Texas State commit Madeline Gaffney got two blocks to start off Game 4, yet the Lady Wildcats couldn’t get a side out as Dulles went on a 10-0 spurt shortly after.

It was only seven weeks ago when Creek beat Dulles, albeit without senior kill leader Amy Moyer.

“We felt if we could take them out of their offensive system, going to their second and third outlet, we would do really well,” Dulles coach Dena Scott said. “Our defense could control that and then let our offense take over. It certainly helped to have Amy back.”

Fittingly, Dulles clinched on the final Creek error of the night to end the dynasty hopes.

Simonds, reflecting on the year, couldn’t find any answers. He’s been searching all year.

“I always seem to push the right buttons, but not this year,” Simonds said. “We made our bed with finishing third in district — dropping close games against Brook and Lake with errors and it just seemed to carry over. But, again, that’s on me.”