Marble Falls volleyball sweeps Florence

CAPTION: Marble Falls sophomore hitter Madison Cuplin (left) plays a key role in helping the Lady Mustangs earn a road win against Florence. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School volleyball team defeated Florence 25-14, 25-23, 25-23 on the road Aug. 20.

“From a coaching perspective, Florence is scrappy,” Lady Mustangs head coach Christopher Pace said. “The crowd mattered. They weren’t afraid to let you hear them. I had to yell for the girls to hear what I had to say. We’re going to be in similar situations where the crowd is going to be loud. Shutting that out and playing our volleyball is good for us.”

Pace noted the Lady Mustangs “were hammering the ball away” in the first set.

“We wanted to play with an aggressive mindset,” he said. “I wanted to see us crank the ball, even when they play good defense.”

That meant turning sophomore hitters Madison Cuplin and Katie Terrell and senior setter Mia Trejo loose.

But when the Lady Buffs adjusted, the Lady Mustangs did the same by digging through their arsenal of attacks – directional tips, dumps and dinks. Pace said having different ways to score is an advantage.

“It’s important because the defense has to constantly adjust,” he said. “We have a few girls who can crank the line and go cross court. Our girls are smart to hit deep crosses. When it got close, we tipped it over the block. We’ve been able to make the adjustments.”

Trejo scored the final three points of the second set, while junior Kate McCary connected on an ace on match point. He noted that junior hitter Payton Dunk also contributed.

“Mia set Maddie, who crushed it into the stands,” Pace said. “Mia is doing a great job. Her senior leadership is shining through. Mia truly trusts every player on the court when it matters most. She trusts them to do their job.”

Pace said the match revealed more positive traits about his new team.

Top of the list is the communication with him. He said sometimes the assistant coaches and players see something and ask him about it. Then he watches a point to answer their question. Case in point was the hole between Florence’s front line and back line. One of the assistants pointed it out to Pace, who had it confirmed by Trejo. Marble Falls immediately attacked the area.

“I can give them a head roll or a finger wag,” he said.

And above all, the Lady Mustangs had to gut out winning the second and third sets, a big benefit for what’s coming, the coach said.

“We have only three girls with varsity experience,” he said. “We need to be in dog fights of close sets. It’s super beneficial. It’s building our mental toughness.”

At one point, Florence led 20-16 and Pace chose not to call a timeout. Instead he told the Lady Mustangs to “lock in, let’s go.”

Marble Falls won 9 of the next 12 points to earn the set.

“The fight and competitive sets are going to benefit us when it matters most,” Pace said.

Marble Falls will play in the Tournament on the Bay in Bay City Thursday and Saturday, Aug. 22 and 24.

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