Marble Falls volleyball loses to Burnet
CAPTION: Senior Kate McCary stood out to head coach Zoey Beard-Hanrahan for her competitiveness and ability to focus on what needed to happen. Photo by Martelle Ludecke/Luedecke Photography
The Marble Falls High School volleyball team lost to Burnet 16-25, 14-25, 21-25 Oct. 3 to begin the second round of District 24-4A play.
The loss snapped the Lady Mustangs’ (12-11, 3-4) three-match winning streak.
“A lot of things come into play when we play Burnet and the cross (county) rivalry,” head coach Zoey Beard said. “It’s always going to be a mental game. And that’s definitely what it turned out to be.”
The Lady Dawgs (21-7, 5-2) stepped into Max Copeland Gym following a three-set loss to Georgetown Gateway Sept. 30. Head coach Crystal Shipley said the team used practices to prepare “a little differently the last few days.”
“We focused on what we needed to do to be our best rather than focusing on who the other team is,” she said. “The moment you make one game or one team more important than any other, you set yourself up for failure. Our team will take one game at a time and each one will be as important as the last.”
From the start Marble Falls was challenged with changes in schedule. The two head coaches agreed to move the sub varsity matches to 4:30 p.m. instead of at 5 p.m. But officials from those matches were needed for the varsity match. Though the Burnet junior varsity prevailed in two sets, the Marble Falls freshmen won in three games.
Because the freshman match went longer, the varsity players had a longer warm-up and stood around waiting for officials to get to the gym.
“My girls are still getting used to me and just my ways,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “I had really strong feelings going into it. They have to want it more than me. And then when it finally did start, it just didn’t feel very fluid like it normally does.”
Once the varsity match began, Beard-Hanrahan said she was pleased with the first points. But then “audience interference” was called on Marble Falls.
A laser pointer from the Marble Falls student section on the Lady Dawgs caused the match to be delayed as officials looked for the device.
“Audience interference makes us pause, and then it just felt like my girls couldn’t get their groove back, and so that was pretty much the way the entire match ended up playing out,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “It was handled quickly and swiftly. But it stops everything. The momentum that we had going at the beginning — it was going to be a good match — and then they come out of that trying to figure out which student had it. And it’s Burnet, it’s quite a strong point, and then we just couldn’t catch our rhythm again after that. So that first set, not the best we’ve had. It’s just a reminder that it’s the rivalry.”
Still, she pointed to the third set and credited her players for responding in trying to extend the match.
“They did show some really strong points in the third set,” the coach said. “We could have won that third set, and try to give them a run for their money, but it’s just not how it turned out to be.”
Beard-Hanrahan commended senior Kate McCary for her efforts throughout the match.
“She really is the one kid who really showed up, and you could tell she wanted it,” she said. “She was great in defense, and her offense was phenomenal. She played a heck of a game. She made me very proud.”
Shipley underscored the value of the straight-set win.
“We needed a turning point after losing so many first sets the past few (matches),” she said. “Our girls were determined to do whatever it took to find their ‘mojo’ again. What better place and time to do that. It is always exciting to play in a rival’s gym. My girls tend to let the chatter in the bleachers fuel them and I love how mentally strong they were. Every win is equally important at this point.”
Marble Falls turns its attention to a road match at Georgetown Gateway, while Burnet welcomes Salado Tuesday, Oct. 7. The subvarsities play at 5 p.m. the varsities follow.
“We’ll definitely prepare for Gateway and we’ll try to give them a run for their money at their home court,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “But we gotta move forward. Every one of these games and matches gives us an opportunity to grow.”
CAPTION: Marble Falls had no answer for freshman Landry Schubert, who was a menace at the net and helped pave the way to victory for the Lady Dawgs. Photo by Martelle Ludecke/Luedecke Photography
