Camp prepares Marble Falls volleyball for season
CAPTION: After spending most of the summer playing select volleyball, freshman Brighton Bernard made her way to Max Copeland Gym to improve her skills at the Marble Falls volleyball camp. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
About 80 attended the Marble Falls High School volleyball camp July 29-31 and impressed new head coach Christopher Pace with their positive attitudes and willingness to improve.
“I’m seeing a lot of energy, a lot of hustle,” he said. “They’re having fun. I’m seeing the energy to get better. This is allowing the girls to knock the rust off.”
The camp drew more than 40 athletes in grades 9-12 and about 30 Marble Falls Middle School players.
Pace noted the timing of the camp couldn’t have been better. It happened one week before the start of tryouts and two-a-days, which began Aug. 5. The players went through their basics and fundamentals throughout the three-day affair.
They included fine-tuning their forms as defensive specialists, setting, hitting and blocking.
This camp was especially meaningful because of the number of new players who will make up the varsity this season. In 2023, the varsity had 12 players. Nine graduated and a 10th chose not to play.
Pace truly believes the 2024 season isn’t a rebuild at all.
“It’s a retool,” he said.
That’s because he sees the talent on the floor that includes two-year letterman Mia Trejo, who will be a senior this year. Two years ago she was the district’s newcomer of the year. The other letterman is junior defensive specialist Katherine McCary, who played herself on the squad because of her ability to dig and accurately pass the ball to the setter.
While Trejo is expected to take one of the outside hitter positions and McCary will help settle the back row, the other positions are wide open. One player to keep an eye on is junior Lesley Reynoso, who was on the varsity basketball team last season.
Reynoso was a reserve but gave the Lady Mustangs quality minutes as a forward who was unafraid of contact and was excellent in getting rebounds. Her jumping ability is a big asset to the program.
She may have been one of the junior varsity players Pace referred to when he talked about the talent he sees throughout the program. They want and are striving for success and are putting in the time on the court to improve, he said.
Camp coaches were K.K. Ewing, Cassie Lewis of Coahoma Independent School District, and Kendra Thompson.
“We have high level coaches running this camp,” Pace said.
The Lady Mustangs begin the 2024 season in back-to-back matches Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 12-13. They welcome Austin Northeast Aug. 12 and Kyle Lehman Aug. 13. Both matches begin at 6:30 p.m. at Max Copeland Gym.
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CAPTION: Lillian Parker is one of several players who worked on her skills during the Marble Falls volleyball camp. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
