Posted: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:47 AM - 7,570 Readers

By: Danny Davis

A legendary program and a potential powerhouse will be the Central Texas area's representatives at this week's state volleyball tournament.

Wimberley and Lake Travis will be among 20 teams playing for a state championship at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos. Lake Travis will play Richardson Pearce in a Class 4A semifinal Thursday at 5 p.m., and Wimberley will face Abilene Wylie in a Class 3A semifinal on Friday at 1 p.m.

All championship matches will be played on Saturday.

Wimberley, which has won six state championships since 1999, enters the tournament with a 43-3 record. The Lady Texans have been dominant in the playoffs, dropping only one game in four playoff matches. Needville, which opened its regional championship match against Wimberley with a 26-24 win, is the only playoff team to score more than 20 points in a single set against Wimberley.

Lake Travis, which is making its second tournament appearance in the last three years, has swept 22 of its last 23 opponents. Lake Travis has lost a total of seven games this season, but two of those came in a 2-1 tournament loss to Richardson Pearce in August.

Lake Travis (47-3) hasn't dropped a game since an Oct. 30 loss to Lovejoy, in a playoff warmup match. Lake Travis' opponents are averaging just 11.8 points per game in the postseason.

"I think we're playing our best volleyball," Lake Travis coach Julie Green said. "I think that's a good sign for us going into the state tournament."

At least three new champions will be crowned this weekend; the defending champions in Class A, Class 4A and Class 5A did not qualify for this year's state tournament.

Poth, last year's Class 2A champion, will play Jewett Leon in a semifinal on Thursday.

Lucas Lovejoy, Class 3A's two-time defending champion, will open its tournament run on Friday afternoon with a semifinal against Columbus.

*  Story Contributed by: Danny Davis