Faith Academy volleyball doesn’t quit in loss to Bulverde Gloria Deo

CAPTION: Faith Academy of Marble Falls senior Brook Farmer came up big during key moments against Bulverde Gloria Deo. Photo by Stennis Shotts

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls volleyball team lost to Bulverde Gloria Deo 12-25, 26-24, 23-25, 22-25 Aug. 22.

Lady Flames head coach Erin Sawyer commended her players for the way they battled.

“They worked hard, they didn’t give up on one another, we played as a team,” she said. “I always say ‘family multiplies the joy and divides the burden.”

Down 1-0 after the first set, the Lady Flames went to work to even the match. Both teams matched each other point for point. At 13-13, senior Brooke Farmer took a set in the middle of the court and slammed it down for a point that fired up the Faith bench and fans.

But the Lady Lions were unfazed and took a 20-16 lead that forced Sawyer to call a timeout.

Farmer delivered again, this time on a directional tip at the net that trimmed the deficit to 19-22. Freshman setter Ella Chavira recorded a service ace to cut the lead to 21-22. She served the next four points that included a Gloria Deo hitting error and another ace. Junior setter Hadley Shipley hit a spike off a Lady Lions block for set point. But hitting errors determined the next three points, eventually giving Faith the win.

Just when it looked like Gloria Deo would win the third set the way it won the first one, the Lady Flames responded. Down 14-20, Faith won four of the next five points. Junior Natalie Weems had a directional tip to trim the deficit to 20-22, and senior Milayna Garcia saved a set point with a directional tip that was down the line. Farmer added another directional tip and junior libero Jillian Martin had a service ace to bring the Lady Flames to 23-24. But Gloria Deo ended the set with a cross-court kill and a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Lions led 20-17 and 23-18 in the final set. The Lady Flames cut it to 22-23, but Gloria Deo took advantage of a service error and an ace to win the match.

Sawyer noted the Lady Flames were in sync as they played. Martin handled the back row well and was the server when Faith made its runs. Weems floated well at the net, and Farmer came through when the Lady Flames needed a point. Shipley performed well as the other setter, Sawyer said.

“They played together as a team,” she said. “On (Aug. 19), we had a rough period where they kind of gave up. They were doing the things I asked them to do. They improved throughout the night.”

The coach noted it would be been easy for her players to mentally quit after the first set, but they didn’t do that. She was proud of that.

“They kept fighting,” she said. “They have that hunger, that grit to work hard.”

The Lady Flames travel to play at Fredericksburg Heritage Thursday, Aug. 24, with the junior varsity taking the court at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity at 6:30 p.m. and ends the week at The Tourney in Boerne Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25-26.

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CAPTION: Junior Hadley Shipley continues to please coaches with her play, particularly at setter where she was recently moved. Photo by Stennis Shotts