San Marcos fell to Steele 3-0 [25-18, 25-18, 25-16] on Tuesday night in district action.
The loss eliminated the Rattlers from playoff contention in their final home game of the season.
“I think Kylie [Joseph] and Brinkley [Reeves] had a great game tonight. I think they were actively trying to better the ball each time they played it,” said head coach Megann Ollett.
With Tuesday’s game being the last home game of the season for San Marcos, they took time to celebrate their seniors after the game.
“They’re a good group of kids that will leave a lasting impact,” said Ollett. “They were the first group to take me in … There’s a lot of great talent. A lot of great kids that have the potential to do a lot in whatever they love to do, and they really helped to build the culture of this program of cohesiveness, and being together, and serving the rest of the program.
San Marcos jumped out to an early 5-3 lead in set one, but Steele rallied back with six straight points to make it 9-5. The Rattlers battled back to within a point, but a 5-0 run from Steele made it 19-13. The Knights coasted the rest of the set to win 25-18.
Steele took that momentum into the second set, taking a commanding 16-10 lead.
San Marcos once again battled back to make it 18-16 but Steele regained control, winning the second set 25-18.
In the third set, Steele once again came out hot, taking an early 9-4 lead. With their backs against the wall, San Marcos fought back to make it 13-11.
But Steele answered back with a 9-3 run, making it 20-14. They coasted to a 25-16 victory, claiming the third set and sweeping the Rattlers.
“I think overall, the pressure of the game, I’m hoping, got to some of their heads,” Ollett said. “We fell a little short tonight of taking care of the business we needed to take care of.”
The Rattlers travel to New Braunfels Canyon next Tuesday for their final match of the season.
