Saturday, May 4, 2024
The North Central Texas Academy Lady Pioneers earned runner-up medals on Oct. 15 at the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations state volleyball tournament in San Antonio. They swept through their first five matches there before falling to the San Antonio Saints in four sets.
The North Central Texas Academy Lady Pioneer volleyball squad reached the championship match of the Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations state tournament recently, losing only to the San Antonio Saints in the Division 3 final on Oct. 15 in San Antonio.
The Somervell County-based Lady Pioneers lost to the Saints, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21, 25-18. The tournament, which began on Oct. 14 and was played at Force Sports Center, featured five victories by the NCTA girls on the way to the title game.
Among the key standouts for the Lady Pioneers were Jana Cetkovic with 15 kills, 19 digs and four service aces; Sara Maksimovic with nine kills, 30 digs and four aces; Anika Mijuskovic with eight kills and 12 digs; and Lea Lopicic with six kills and 11 digs, according to NCTA Athletic Director Mike Hendon.
The Lady Pioneers have won two private-school state volleyball championships in their history — in 2017 and 2019. Sara Maksimovic was a member of NCTA’s title-winning team in 2019.
The Lady Pioneers are coached by Teresa Smith, who previously had coached volleyball for many years at Justin Northwest High School.
The NCTA squad swept through all five of their other matches in the state tournament to reach the title game, defeating teams from Burnet, Boerne, and El Paso along with Gloria Deo Academy and Westlake Academy.
