Marble Falls volleyball beats Lampasas for district win

CAPTION: Marble Falls freshman Brighton Bernard steps back to serve. Photo by Christopher Miles/Christopher Miles Photography

The Marble Falls High School volleyball team defeated Lampasas 25-20, 25-18, 25-18 Sept. 27 for its first win in District 24-4A play this season.

“It was a great road win,” head coach Christopher Pace said. “(Winning) 3-0 is always good, especially after the three games we had (against Salado Sept. 24).”

Like the Lady Mustangs (17-13, 1-3), the Lady Badgers (11-22, 0-5) were seeking their first district win, too. But Marble Falls took the momentum they built in the third set against Salado with them. Though they lost 21-25, the Lady Mustangs had leads against the Lady Eagles. That belief and self-confidence were big keys in the match against Lampasas and what Pace wanted his players to bring with them.

They did, he said.

“We rotated everybody in and everybody played really well,” he said. “When Salado left their starters in and our girls got to the point when they knew we could hang with them, we started to clean that up. They know the history and are aware of Salado. It reminded our girls of the level of volleyball we could play. Through that mentality, there was a confidence.”

He noted that sophomore setter Hannah Welch served well, junior Lily Stein passed well, and senior middle blocker Hope Todd “had a nice swing in the third set.”

“Maddie Cuplin was doing well to start the game,” he said. “They were excited to play. They had a good time. They stayed loose. Being a little more loose allowed them to have fun.”

That’s a 0-5 deficit to begin the match didn’t faze them, the coach said.

“Because we were loose, it looked like we weren’t warmed up all the way,” he said. “We played a lot better, and our girls are doing a good job leading the right way. We needed them to hold each other accountable. Now they’re holding each other accountable. It means more when your peers tell you you can do it. I think the leaders leading is making the difference.”

That and having a short memory when errors occurred were huge in the outcome, Pace said.

“The girls on the bench and the court laughed about it and moved on,” he said. “One of our girls hit the ball in the net. On the next set, she smoked it. When she stepped off the floor, she said, ‘Don’t worry coach. I missed the net this time.’ They didn’t dwell on it. They were nice and calm. There was no pressure to be perfect.”

This win also was Pace’s first as a head coach.

“I like it — it’s nice,” he said. “It feels good. Now I need more.”

The Lady Mustangs welcome Taylor Tuesday, Oct. 1, with the subvarsities playing at 5 p.m. and the varsity to follow.

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CAPTION: Senior Mia Trejo helps the Lady Mustangs get a three-set win against Lampasas. Photo by Christopher Miles/Christopher Miles Photography