Marble Falls volleyball sweeps Taylor
CAPTION: Senior Kenadi Dalton continues to be fulfill the libero role well for the Lady Mustangs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School volleyball team stomped Taylor 25-17, 25-21, 25-8 Sept. 26 in a District 24-4A match.
The Lady Mustangs (11-10, 2-3) earned the road win the same way they beat Lampasas – with each player contributing when she was given the opportunity.
That’s according to head coach Zoey Beard-Hanrahan.
No set better illustrated the work the Lady Mustangs have done for weeks than the third game against Taylor, the coach said.
“That third set was the team that I know,” she said. “That’s the team this team can. We have such a hard time getting started. And (in the final game) my girls just were able to do anything that we wanted, which is amazing for us, and they came on. And they were fiery and they just they wanted to get it. (They) didn’t want to give any mercy. That’s the team I know.”
When asked what the Lady Mustangs did in that final set, Beard-Hanrahan replied, “I mean, what weren’t they doing?”
“The team at the beginning of that match in the first set, we were making really high unforced errors,” she said. “And we just didn’t look comfortable. And by the third set, our unforced errors were so minimal; we weren’t making the mistakes on ourselves anymore, and we were having them really fight for it. And (in the third set), we got to do what we do best, and I got to see that fast offense that I really want to be a huge component.”
She noted that offense can’t happen without defensive specialists doing their part.
“Serve-receive really put us in a good spot,” the coach said. “I was really proud of (senior libero) Kenadi Dalton. She definitely had something to prove. And her service-receive was fantastic along with Katie Terrell.”
Terrell, a junior hitter, and sophomores Brighton Bernard and Breanna Wilde have shown the consistency to force opponents to account for them so defenses can’t key on junior middle blocker Amaris Mitchell-Ochoa and senior athlete Kate McCary.
“Katie Terrell had a fantastic game – she really stood out to me and not only in her service-receive, but just her placement,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “When she’s hitting, she’s such a smart volleyball thinker.
“Brighton and Brenna … are the only sophomores that I carry, and they have a lot to prove, but I have them on the right side for a reason,” she added. “One, because I need them to protect my setters in that back row and put a big solid block in front of that outside hitter. But they also can hit the ball and do it smart, and I needed somebody who can strike fear, and they both do that really well. Brenna was a middle for (the junior varsity) and moving her to the right side (on varsity) I thought was just good because her blocking is strong. And now she’s just she’s really learned how to attack off that right side and be a force to be reckoned with. And set the tone – and that’s what I needed from her, and Brighton is the same way. She’s been doing a really good job getting the ball and being really smart with the ball. She had an amazing tip and disguised it well. It was awesome. I was like, ‘That’s it.'”
Marble Falls welcomes Jarrell (6-26, 1-4) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, in another crucial match to end first round and district play, and Burnet Friday, Oct. 3, in the program’s annual Pink Out Night that raises awareness for breast cancer.
“I’m very, very excited for this week,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “Jarrell is definitely always been a mentally tough team. As long as the team that I saw competing (against Lampasas and Taylor) and against San Marcus, if I can see that team show up for me — strong and ready to go — I think it’ll be good for us.”
CAPTION: Head coach Zoey Beard-Hanrahan talks to sophomore Brighton Bernard during a timeout. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
