"I was terrified," Runnels said. "I said to myself that I cannot miss this serve at game point. Luckily, it went over."
Runnels' serve sealed the Paradise Lady Panthers' four-game victory over the Bowie Lady Jackrabbits. The Lady Panthers won the match 25-14, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22.
It is the Lady Panthers' first playoff win since 2003.
Paradise will now get a bye through the area round. It will play the winner of the Colorado City and Nocona match in the Class 2A Region I quarterfinal Monday or Tuesday.
When Runnels went to the service line in game four, Paradise was trying to hold off a late Bowie rally. Paradise had led 17-12, but Bowie closed within one, 23-22. Meg Arthur kept Paradise in the lead with a kill to send Runnels to the service line at game point, 24-22. Her low serve tipped the top of the net and took a dive to the floor. Three diving Bowie players could not keep it off the floor.
"Her serves have been like that all year," said Paradise coach Susie Burt. "I'm glad it fell the right way this time."
Paradise stayed on the offensive most of the match. Four different Lady Panthers finished with double-digit kill totals. Casey Fletcher led the way with 19. Hannah Johnson added 16. Setter Meg Arthur finished with 53 assists.
Paradise cruised through game one, building a 12-4 lead and never looking back. Fletcher paced the Lady Panthers with four kills. A Runnels ace started a three-point run to close the 11-point win.
Paradise jumped out to a 12-5 lead in game two. It would not be able to hold the lead. Bowie tied the game at 18 and took a lead on a block for a kill by Rachel Austin. After back-to-back kills from Fletcher, Paradise knotted the game at 23. A Paradise service error and serve-receive error gave the game to Bowie.
With the match tied at one, Burt told hitters Fletcher and Johnson to keep hitting at the Bowie blockers. Johnson broke a deadlock at 12 in game three with a kill. It was the second of six kills for Johnson in the game. Her kill off a double block put Paradise up 24-21. Fletcher then ended the game with her 15th kill.
"I told them to start putting it into the block and see where it would fall," Burt said. "They both hit the ball hard."
Paradise jumped out to an 11-3 lead in game four before Bowie rallied to set up Runnels' dramatic match-ending serve.
Paradise had a solid match defensively. Candice McDaniel finished with 39 digs. Baleigh Newman added 21 and Gabbie Von Heuvel 19. Fletcher finished with seven blocks.
