WACO — Connally High’s run through the 4A volleyball playoffs came to an abrupt end Tuesday as the Cougars were swept by Red Oak 25-15, 25-16, 25-14 at Midway High School.

After winning bi-district and area titles, Connally struggled to get anything going in the region quarterfinal as the Lady Hawks dominated the net and much of the match.

The Cougars (27-18) dropped the first two games but came storming out of the gates for the third, jumping out to a 7-3. Cindy Okpegbue knocked home four kills and Elizabeth Johnbull served a pair of aces to put Connally up 6-3. Kristin Caldwell set Kara Babola for a kill that pushed the Cougar lead to 7-3 but two Connally errors quickly killed their momentum.

With the Cougar lead standing at 7-5, Red Oak came roaring back as Caleah Wells hammered home three kills to spark a 7-0 Lady Hawk run that eventually saw them built a 12-7 lead. Alexus Horton briefly stopped the run with a kill for the Cougars to cut the lead to 12-8. Johnbull then chipped in with two kills further trimming the Lady Hawks’ advantage to 13-10, but there was no rally to be found for Connally.

The Cougars committed three errors to help Red Oak take a 17-11 lead. Lindsay Prasifka and Morgan Watts each had kills to push the lead to 19-13. Sensing victory, the Lady Hawks really turned it on, finishing the game and match with a 6-0 surge, highlighted by three kills and a stuff block by Hunter Porter.

Connally had a tough time stopping Porter from the onset of the match. The high-flying Lady Hawk senior started the first game off with a kill then delivered another to put Red Oak up 8-4.

Connally battled back behind a stuff block and a kill by Riley Patterson to trim the Lady Hawk lead to 10-6. A Red Oak error and kill by Okpegbue futher cut the deficit to 11-9 and another Okpegbue kill trimmed it to 12-10.

Two Cougar errors, however, opened the door for the Lady Hawks and they took full advantage of the invitation. Watts delivered three kills to put Red Oak up 19-12 and a Connally error increased the lead to 20-12. Okpegbue and Patterson each had kills for the Cougars as they tried to claw their way back into the game. With the Lady Hawks leading 23-14, Johnbull scored on a stuff block and Babola knocked down a kill off a set by Caldwell to trim Red Oak’s lead to 23-16. But, a Cougar error and an ace by Gabby Pena killed any thought of a comeback and gave Red Oak the win in game one.

The second game was very similar to the first. Okpegbue had three kills to help Connally take a 3-2 lead. Thanks to the hitting of Alex Horton, Patterson and Johnbull, the Cougars stayed close to the Lady Hawks for the first part of the game, holding an 8-7 lead after Caldwell set Johnbull for a kill.

But Red Oak chipped away and retook the lead thanks in large part to the play of Porter. Her kill put the Lady Hawks up 14-10 and her stuff block increased their lead to 17-12 as Red Oak cruised to the win.

The Cougars knocked off Whitehouse 25-15, 25-10, 25-20 to claim the area championship last Thursday.

Okpegbue led the Cougars (27-17) with 19 kills. Caldwell had 35 assists, Carla Alcocer 27 digs, Horton two blocks and Johnbull three aces.