Over the course of five sets Friday, the Hays Rebels and Westlake Chaparrals battled for district supremacy in a match that mirrored the ferocity of the playoffs.

But Rebel struggles to finish in the clutch opened the door for Westlake to escape with a 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, 17-15 win at Bales Gym.

Westlake (23-15, 7-1) claims a hold of first place in 25-6A with the victory, while also obtaining a tiebreaker against the Rebels. Meanwhile, Hays (25-11, 5-2) falls into second place with only ...