Faith Academy volleyball loses to Gloria Deo
CAPTION: Faith Academy junior Natalie Weems (left) and senior setter Abbye Blackington leap for a block to win a point against Bulverde Gloria Deo Aug. 20. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Faith Academy of Marble Falls volleyball team lost to Bulverde Gloria Deo 25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 16-25 Aug. 20.
For three sets, the two teams gave each other their best dinks, directional tips, blocks and hits with neither side conceding anything.
Every time it looked like one team would seize control of the match, the other team came back to tie the set thanks to getting different contributors all over the floor.
Sometimes it was senior Jillian Martin with a timely hit or senior setters Abbye Blackington and Hadley Shipley, who ended rallies with deep dumps that fell into the defense’s open hole. At times junior middle blocker Natalie Weems leapt high to put a lazy set designed for the Lady Lions on the gym floor or block a hitter’s attempt at a spike.
Then there was freshman Ella Claiborne, who had timely cross court kills that fired up her teammates and the fans.
Head coach Erin Sawyer enjoyed those plays that included the defensive specialists diving on the floor to make Gloria Deo earn every point.
“What beat us was our mistakes,” she said. “Gloria Deo was more disciplined and they moved better. We beat ourselves.”
She pointed to the errors on serves, passes and hits that were unforced.
“They’re all mental errors,” she said. “Being disciplined is in our control.”
Sawyer emphasized she saw plenty of positive play from her athletes that show they can do even more. Shipley led with 13 kills, 12 assists and 14 digs, while Weems had 6 blocks, and junior libero Bosley Kuker had 15 digs. Four Lady Flames had two aces each,
“Natalie with her blocking was great. She’s such a wall. It made a difference,” she said. “Ella Claiborne is just a freshman. She’s just starting. I have high expectations for her. She’s very powerful. She has a lot of power. We have to work on her finesse. It’s a fun thing.”
The Lady Flames host their own tournament this weekend. They welcome Austin Hill Country at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, Leanders Founders Classical Academy at 4 p.m. and Bolton Providence Prep at 6 p.m. both Friday, Aug. 23, and the Christian School at Castle Hills at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. all at The Fire Pit on the Faith campus.
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