Leaping Into the Final
    3A Finalist Have History, Though Not Together
                 By Chris Gove, Staff Writer ~Odessa American ~ November 19, 2006

SAN MARCOS  Monahans High schools proud and long-standing volleyball tradition was rekindled in earnest when it won the Class 3A state championship last season. 

If Monahans is to defend its title at 1 p.m. today, then the Lady Loboes will have to beat another program trying to revive a glorious past -- the Bellville Brahmanettes.

Bellville, making its first state appearance since 2000, got back in the groove by rallying for a 25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-11 win against Texarkana Pleasant Grove in the second Class 3A semifinal at Straham Coliseum.

Monahans and Bellville are tied for seventh in all classifications in UIL State Volleyball championships history with 13 appearances each, though Monahans edged ahead with its ninth title last season while Bellville has been struck on eight since beating Greenwood in the 1997 final.

"It's going to be a great final," Monahans head coach Patty Dominguez said.  "We both like to get up and hit the ball.  They play great defense and we can play good defense, too, so it's going to be a good match."

Bellville (34-6) was led by 33 kills from Kaitlin Inglish and 24 from Precious Sanders in the five-game victory.  The Brahmanettes scored six consecutive points to close the match and rally from an 11-9 deficit against Pleasant Grove (38-5).

"Sometimes things looked good, and sometimes things looked bleak," said Susan Brewer, who is in her 29th season as Bellville's head coach.  "The team just stuck together and pulled it out.  We're excited to play Monahans."

Bellville also got seven kills and a team-high two service aces from Kristin Chancellor.  She and younger sister Casey Chancellor are daughters of Bellville athletic director Huey Chancellor, who is a Permian High School graduate.

Their uncle, Carl Chancellor, is the head cross country and girls track and field coach at Permian.

Bellville is in the championship match for the 12th time in its 13 state appearances, with the lone exception being a semifinal loss during its last appearance in 2000.

Its four-year absence from the tournament was its longest since first qualifying for state in 1984 -- when it won the Class 3A title.

That same season, Monahans won the Class 4A title and didn't win another until claiming the 3A gold last year.

Dominguez knows quite well about Bellville's tradition.  In fact, she struck up a relationship with Brewer during coaching conventions to learn about it.

"When I first took over the program at Monahans (in 1997), I watched her program and I talked to (Brewer) about what she's done to help get her kids stronger and just to create some kind of longevity like she has," Dominguez said.  "I respect her tremendously, so it's going to be good."

Considering her 8-3 record in championship matches, Brewer doesn't have plans to take the gas off her team's aggressive style in today's clash with the defending champion.

Brewer hinted that her team's best might even be best to come.

"I feel like our obstacle is ourselves, and we're probably going to be more relaxed (today)," Brewer said.

"The first semifinal is kind of hard, and we're past that.  I think the kids will show up and play really relaxed.  If that happens, I think we'll have a good match.

Monahans and Bellville never have played in a championship match since most of the school's history has been in different classifications.

But the teams did meet in the 1996 semifinals -- the season before Dominguez took over at Monahans -- and Bellville walked away with a victory en route to the title.

There's probably not any reason for these Monahans players to avenge that result, but they will get the chance anyway.

"They wanted to play Bellville because they're always looking to play somebody new," Dominguez said.  "Especially when they see Inglish go up and hit, they want to test themselves against somebody like that, so that's exciting."