Marble Falls volleyball has arsenal of new ways to score

For weeks, Marble Falls High School head volleyball coach Kait Goertz has been saying this 2022 team is different from the ones that stepped out on the court in the past.

A big reason is because of the preparation the Lady Mustangs put in months earlier leading up to the season opener against Kyle Lehman Aug. 9 that has led to a confidence the players now have. And though Marble Falls (0-1) lost to the Lady Lobos 19-25, 22-25, 10-25, Goertz said she saw plenty of positives that reinforced what she had been saying.

“We train out of the system,” she said. “Every day in practice, we’re working. We train every single day.”

Part of that training is analyzing what’s happening on the court and having go-to plays that are used in specific moments. But most importantly, the Lady Mustangs have the confidence in each other to step up in those moments and deliver.

That was apparent toward the end of the second set when Lehman led 23-21. Marble Falls called upon a first-year varsity player to spike the ball knowing its veterans were facing double blocks. The ball was barely out of bounds, which gave the Lady Lobos the point. After a service error, the Lady Mustangs called upon the same player, and the ball was barely out.

The results simply illustrate that what the Lady Mustangs are doing in practices are working, Goertz said.

“Because of the situation like that, there was no question where that ball was going to go,” she said. “I saw some really good things.”

Marble Falls showed glimpses of that by the different ways points were scored. The Lady Mustangs mixed in directional tips and dumps that caught the Lady Lobos off guard as evidenced by the number of defenders who hit the floor to get to the ball. Marble Falls also had blockers that forced Lehman hitters to adjust in mid air to avoid the ball coming back to them.

In short, the Lady Mustangs showed they could analyze the situation and knew where the ball should go and who should get it throughout the contest. That’s what Goertz meant about the system that surprises opponents and puts her players in position to be successful.

“We train out of system to play out of system,” she said. “We are working on being comfortable with being uncomfortable. They feel that in that moment, that’s where the ball goes and who gets it, and that’s the best decision in that moment.”

Senior middle blocker Dallyn Pickett “had a big night for us,” Goertz said, noting the Lady Mustang made her presence felt as an offensive threat and a defensive wall.

Marble Falls also showed areas that need improvement including learning the new defense. Still, the coach remains more than optimistic about what is coming.

“We have a lot of volleyball ahead of us,” she said.

Marble Falls will compete at the Wimberley Tex-Fest Tournament Friday-Saturday, Aug. 12-13.

Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.