Tascosa, Randall and Canyon Volleyball Teams Post Playoff Wins

It was a clean sweep for local high school volleyball teams in the playoffs Tuesday night.

Tascosa had to go five sets before knocking off El Paso Franklin in a 6A Bi-District match. In 5A, 9^th ranked Randall rolled past Monterey in three sets while Canyon beat Coronado in four sets to advance.

Another team from District 3-5A, Hereford, pulled off the upset of the night.  The Lady Whitefaces stunned District 4-5A champion Lubbock Cooper in five sets.

- The UIL Team Tennis State Tournament begins today in College Station with Amarillo High looking for its first state title.  The Sandies will meet San Antonio Alamo Heights at 11:30 this morning in the 5A State Semifinals. Amarillo High is 24-2 on the season, while Alamo Heights is 16-0.

 – The West Texas A&M volleyball team ended their 2017 home schedule on a high note on Tuesday night as they swept past Western New Mexico in Lone Star Conference action on Senior Night at the WTAMU Fieldhouse “The Box” in Canyon, Texas. WT is 19-10, 11-6 LSC and avenges a loss to the Mustangs earlier in LSC play.

 – West Texas A&M’s Erin Clark, Selena Batiste and Chandler Vogel all won the Lone Star Conference weekly volleyball awards after three wins last week, including two against ranked opponents.

The Freshman Clark was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week, Batiste won Setter of the Week and Vogel, who is from Hereford, won the Defensive Player of the Week.

- Two goals by visiting St. Mary’s handed the WT men’s soccer team a 2-0 loss in the first round of the 2017 Heartland Conference Tournament.  That will more than likely end the season for WT as the Buffs tied for fifth in the most recent region rankings with only four teams qualifying for the regional.

– The Lady Buffs basketball team enter the 2017-18 season ranked ninth in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top-25. The Lady Buffs open up their schedule on Saturday afternoon as they host Wayland Baptist in exhibition action with tipoff set for 2 p.m. at the First United Bank Center in Canyon.

. – The WT men’s basketball team is ranked 21^st in the preseason National Association of Collegiate Basketball Coaches Division II Top 25. WT also is ranked 21^st in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25, while being selected second in the Preseason Lone Star Conference poll.

-Chris Taylor hit a tying double off Justin Verlander during a two-run rally in the sixth inning, Corey Seager followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly and the Dodgers beat the Astros 3-1 on Tuesday night to push this dramatic Fall Classic to the ultimate game seven.

Joc Pederson homered in the seventh making it a record 24 long balls that have been hit in this Series.

Yu Darvish starts tonight for the Dodgers, trying to win their first title since 1988, Lance McCullers Jr. gets the ball for the Astros, looking for their first World Series title.

-- A couple of games played during week two of the season had a major effect on the first College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson were the top four teams in the selection committee's initial top 25 released Tuesday night.

Oklahoma, Ohio State and Penn State were next as the committee members let head-to-head results and strength of schedule be their guide. The final rankings that will determine the participants in the College Football Playoff semifinals come out Dec. 3.