AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Holy Cross, Kennedy. Lanier, McCollum, Memorial, Sam Houston, South San, Southside, Southwest.

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Four area teams finished the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3 in first place, including upstarts Southside and South San.

Holy Cross (35-6, 11-0) and McCollum (20-9, 9-1) have held first place in TAPPS District 4-4A and District 28-5A, respectively, throughout the season. South San also has come out of the gate quickly to seize the lead in what is expected to be a very competitive 28-6A race.

Southside rose up through the ranks with a pair of wins.

South San 3, Southwest 2

The Bobcats (13-14, 3-0) rose to the top of District 28-6A with a pair of wins. The victory over Southwest Oct. 2 was their first over the Dragons in several years.

South San swept Corpus Christi King 25-9, 25-7. 25-14 Sept. 29 and battled to a 25-23, 25-17, 19-25, 24-26, 17-15 victory over Southwest (16-13, 2-1). Both matches took place at South San.

Against Southwest, senior Erica Jimenez dished 25 assists and Clarissa Ruiz blasted 15 kills to lead South San. The Bobcats trailed 14-11 in the decisive fifth game.

Amanda Vallejo provided 3.5 blocks for South San. Samantha Velasquez recorded 25 digs.

Junior Aashlyn Sulaica led Southwest with a whopping 21 kills. Brandy Martinez made 31 digs. Angie Aguilar led the Dragons with 30 assists. Jailene Garcia served three aces and Jessica Morales made three blocks.

Ruiz had 14 kills and 10 digs against King. Jay Torres led the Bobcats with 16 assists. Celeste Alfaro and Vallejo had 1.5 blocks apiece.

Southside 3, Laredo Nixon 0

The Cardinals (15-12, 6-1) were part of a three-way tie for first place in District 29-5A with Somerset and Medina Valley, following an impressive Sept. 29 win over the Panthers (14-14, 6-1) and a sweep at Laredo Nixon (4-3 in district) Oct. 2.

The sweep at Medina Valley threw the district into chaos. The Panthers previously were unbeaten in 29-5A.

Amber Martinez led the Cardinals with 15 kills. Tyler Bolton distributed 28 assists. Junior Alyssa Gallardo made 23 digs. Briana Martinez served three aces. Mia Soto and Chloe Davis each had 1.5 blocks.

Southside statistics from the Laredo Nixon match were unavailable.

Memorial 3, Kennedy 2

The Minutemen (4-17, 2-6) swept the season series with archrival Kennedy (0-24, 0-9) by winning a tight District 27-5A match Sept. 29 at Edgewood Gym.

Memorial won 25-16, 25-21, 11-25, 15-25, 15-7. Minutemen statistics were unavailable.

Gayle Talamantez led Kennedy with 11 digs and five aces. Victoria Klebahn recorded 22 assists. Abigail Gomez and Bryanna Munguia each made eight kills.

Holy Cross 3, Victoria St. Joseph 1

The Knights picked up a pair of key wins in its quest for the TAPPS District 4-4A championship, defeating San Antonio Christian (10-8, 6-3) Sept. 29 and nemesis Victoria St. Joseph (15-7, 9-2) Oct. 1 in Victoria.

Victoria Gonzalez (15 kills, 6 digs, 3 aces) and Henrianna Ibarra (14 kills, 13 digs) led Holy Cross at San Antonio Christian. Daisy Flores also made 13 digs. Anna Zuniga contributed 17 assists, six digs and two aces.

Kimberly Butcher pitched in with 14 assists and nine digs. Brie-Anna Armstrong produced 3.5 blocks and four kills.

Statistics from the St. Joseph match were unavailable.

McCollum 3, Sam Houston 0

The Cowboys cemented their District 28-5A lead with a pair of wins.

Oct. 2 at McCollum, Senior Victoria Yzaguirre (5 blocks) and sophomore Miranda Rich (5 aces) led the Cowboys with six kills apiece in a 25-10, 25-9, 25-13 win over Sam Houston (8-15, 4-6).

Sophomore Alyssa Dimas served eight aces for McCollum. Savannah Borjas dealt a team-best 10 assists.

Senior Rita Davis led the Hurricanes with nine digs and six assists. Shalley Anthony also finished with nine digs. Natalie Coburn pounded four kills and made eight digs. Ariyon Mondy contributed seven digs.

Yzaguirre led McCollum with an outstanding match Sept. 29 at Lanier (11-13, 3-6). The senior smashed 19 kills, served eight aces and hustled for nine digs.

Senior Lauryn Maldonado had a team-high 22 digs. Miranda Rich (8 digs) produced 14 kills and freshman Brianna Rich added five. Borjas (5 digs) with 21 and Alysia Garcia with 15 were the assist leaders. Freshman Jurnee Dimas made nine digs.

For the Voks, Esmi Garza made 30 digs. Jackie Juarez hammered 12 kills. Rae Ann Douglas dished 19 assists. Mystique Garcia made two blocks.