Faith Academy volleyball sweeps Concordia in opener
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls volleyball team scorched Round Rock Concordia 25-19, 25-12, 25-9 in the season opener Aug. 13.
Head coach Erin Sawyer was pleased with the way the Lady Flames allowed fewer and fewer points throughout the match.
“I think we didn’t start well,” she said. “We ended well.”
Concordia ensured the first set was close as it matched the Lady Flames point for point.
Sawyer noted that in the second set, her athletes played the way they’re capable where they built a lead and sealed the door shut on Concordia when its players began to believe they could win.
The coach wants that momentum to begin when the first point is played in the first set. She called that a habit that includes “being aggressive from the beginning.”
She pointed to Kerrington Silvers’ kill to end the match. It came on a great dig, pass and set that allowed the hitter to slam the ball down on the other side with authority. Fans gave a standing ovation as the Lady Flames huddled to congratulate each other on the victory.
“Kerrington has been proving herself,” the coach said. “She saw it. It was a good pass, a good set and a good kill.”
The way Faith won — where it earned several points in a row to build big leads in the second and third sets — is something else Sawyer is looking for. The team is close, she added, based on the fact that every player contributed to the spike column.
“We got to take it,” she said. “They’re moving it around. The girls were comfortable with things.”
That also means setters Abbye Blackington and Hadley Shipley are keeping their teammates involved by distributing the ball to different spots on the floor to keep the defense guessing.
She called Ella Claiborne and Natalie Weems “a wall” at the net that forces hitters to redirect their kills or try to change up their timing or choose a different way to earn the point.
“Natalie goes up and blocks every single time,” Sawyer said. “They started tipping a bunch.”
Points are usually earned because the defensive specialists dig balls hit toward them, and the Lady Flames did their jobs by keeping the rallies going.
“They all played well and dug well,” the coach said. “I wish I could play them more.”
The Lady Flames are playing in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools’ SpikeDown 2024 tournament in Fort Worth this weekend. Faith faces The Winston School at 9 a.m., Azle Christian School at 11 a.m. and Dallas Bishop at 3 p.m. all on Thursday, Aug. 15. The next day the Lady Flames play Lubbock Southcrest Christian School at 9 a.m., Weatherford Victory Baptist Academy at 11 a.m., and Houston Second Baptist University Model at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16.
Sawyer noted this tournament draws TAPPS members from across the state, and she looked forward to seeing her team face competition it may only see during the playoffs. And this week is the start of some great memories.
“Working together, we’re going to get there,” she said.
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