Marble Falls volleyball begins new season with tryouts
CAPTION: Katie Terrell (left) and Kate McCary have skills that help the Lady Mustangs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
Around 40 players are expected to compete for varsity spots on the Marble Falls High School volleyball team.
Those players will get their chance during tryouts that go from 9-11 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2 at Max Copeland Gym on the high school campus.
Aug. 1 also is the first day of official practices allowed by the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of extracurricular activities for public schools in the state. The tryouts tip off two-a-day practices that last about a week. The first date for scrimmages is Aug. 8.
New head coach Zoey Beard Hanrahan wants a roster of 12 players per team “give or take.”
“Quite a few seniors are returning,” she said. “They did a fantastic job (at the recent Lady Mustang Volleyball Camp July 14-16). It was good to see them working together.”
They include Tessie Bowen, Kenadi Dalton, Payton Dunk, Kate McCary and Lily Stein, who are all returning lettermen.
Dalton is emerging as the anchor in the back row, which allows McCary to play different positions. Last season, McCary was the libero, which means she was the only player who couldn’t rotate and had to stay at defensive specialist because of her consistent ability to dig balls and accurately pass them to setters.
“I love (Dalton’s) enthusiasm and the way she talks to her teammates,” Beard Hanrahan said. “She digs balls and tells the hitters where they’re open and where the block is.
“I know Kate was on the back row, but she’s also one of our strongest hitters on the outside,” the coach added. “She can do those jobs efficiently.”
Dunk was injured a year ago, which limited her availability. Bowen and Stein also can contribute, Beard Hanrahan said.
“Lily is a go-getter and Tessie has the front row,” she said. “They’re coachable and positively influence those girls around them. From what I’ve seen from my seniors who showed up, the skills are there.”
The coach also sees that junior Katie Terrell, who was a captain a year ago with Dalton, can do multiple jobs well, too.
“I’m very excited to see what she does for the team,” she said.
Beard Hanrahan is looking for the seniors to provide plenty on and off the court.
“We need our seniors to take the lead,” she said. “I need them to step up. I want them to have an amazing and fantastic senior year and pass that on to the next ones coming. Everybody needs to grow. Everyone needs to be on the same page.”
The tryouts and two-a-days come on the heels of the volleyball camp with Faith Academy of Marble Falls volleyball coach and Highland Lakes Aces club founder Erin Sawyer serving as the primary coach. Around 40 players attended.
“It’s a good number my first year,” Beard Hanrahan said.
Because of UIL rules, the Lady Mustang coaches could only observe, but Beard Hanrahan was pleased with what she saw, pointing out the players give maximum effort each day and credited Sawyer and Austin Performance Club coaches Sarah O’Neal and Arianna Ibarra for the results.
“They demanded the best from the girls,” Beard Hanrahan said. “I do think we have girls who delivered.”
The new coach, who accepted the job in May, has watched the Lady Mustangs work out during Forge ’25, the athletic department’s summer strength and conditioning program, and then gone with them to do sport-skills training afterward. That’s why she believes the program, which was one win away from qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in a decade in 2024, is on the verge of turning a corner.
“The skill is there,” she said. “I want to see how they work together. I don’t feel I’ve gotten a clear view of what my varsity team looks like. It’ll be really exciting to see what they’re like.”
CAPTION: Payton Dunk (right) was a big contributor to the front row during the 2024 season along with former Mia Trejo, who graduated. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
