Marble Falls volleyball reaches bronze championship at Seguin
CAPTION: Junior outside hitter Brighton Bernard (left) and senior middle blocker Amaris Mitchell-Ochoa are in the perfect spot for a block. The two have extensive experience and already played a year on the varsity. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School volleyball team competed at the Matador Classic hosted by Seguin High School Aug. 27-29.
The Lady Mustangs defeated San Antonio Southside 25-19, 25-18 to begin the bronze tournament on the final day but lost to San Antonio Stevens in the final. That came on the heels of two days of pool play. Marble Falls lost to San Antonio Taft 12-25, 12-25, Cibolo Steele 25-27, 12-25, Gregory-Portland 17-25, 17-25, San Antonio Christian School in two sets, Seguin 10-25, 23-25, Stockdale 15-25, 8-25.
“This past weekend was certainly not the tournament we had hoped for, and I think it is important to acknowledge that,” head coach Zoey Beard-Hanrahan said. “We faced some challenges—both physically and mentally—that tested us in ways we weren’t expecting. While the results weren’t what we wanted, there is always something to learn from a difficult weekend.”
This was the third consecutive weekend the Lady Mustangs have played in tournaments. They began August playing in the Jason Landers Invitational hosted by the Austin Independent School District Aug. 13-15 and hosted the Hill Country Takeover Aug. 21-22.
Marble Falls also has played in early-week matches, most of which have been on the road.
The schedule isn’t for the faint of heart. Beard-Hanrahan, who is in her second year, designed a pre-district schedule featuring opponents she believes will reveal plenty about her team. Going into this season, coaches knew creating depth with a rotation that allowed the Lady Mustangs to continue to compete for points no matter who was on the court was the priority.
“I will continue to remind our girls that growth doesn’t always look like winning,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “Sometimes growth looks like being uncomfortable, facing adversity, having hard conversations and choosing to come back the next day ready to get better. This group has so much potential, but potential only takes you so far. We are working on becoming a team that trusts one another, communicates with one another, and stays connected when things aren’t going our way. Those things don’t happen overnight; they are built through practice, accountability and choosing to believe in the person standing next to you.”
Marble Falls travels to The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders Tuesday, Sept. 1, and welcomes San Marcos Friday, Sept. 4, with the subvarsities playing at 5 p.m. and the varsity at 6 p.m.
