Marble Falls volleyball outlasts Taylor
CAPTION: The Lady Mustangs gather in a huddle after winning a crucial point against Taylor. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School volleyball team defeated Taylor in five sets Oct. 1 in District 24-4A play.
“I thought we played really well,” Marble Falls head coach Christopher Pace said. “I thought we got into a little bit of a rut. The thing I love the most about five-set matches is the pressure — it tells you a lot. Taylor is a program that got eliminated in the playoffs by Salado. They’re previous district champs. They’ve won previous playoff rounds. For us to win it in five, that’s mental toughness. Everything has to be there to go five. Playing five sets is a lot of volleyball.”
The Lady Mustangs won sets one and two 25-12 and 25-16 and were cruising in the third set 15-7. But scheme and lineup changes allowed the Ducks to make a comeback in the third set.
Down 21-22, sophomore hitter Madison Cuplin recorded a kill to even the score. But Taylor finished the set on a kill and a block and a Marble Falls passing error to win it 25-21.
The Lady Mustangs raced to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set, but the Ducks took the next four points to trim the deficit to 8-6. Four Marble Falls errors allowed Taylor to take a 14-11 lead and compelled the Lady Mustangs to call a timeout.
Junior Leslie Reynoso recorded a kill and freshman Brighton Bernard connected on an ace to trim the deficit to 13-14. From there neither team led by more than a point until a long rally broke a 16-16 tie. That’s when Taylor placed the ball in an open defensive hole. While the Ducks never led by more than two points, the Lady Mustangs’ only lead late in the set was at 20-19 on a hitting error. Taylor won the next four points on a tip to the corner and three kills. Cuplin scored on a kill to a hole, but the Ducks finished the set on a kill and a spike off a block to even the match at 2-2.
As the Lady Mustangs changed benches, Pace gathered his players in a huddle.
“Our assistant coaches do a great job. They challenged (the players) to be the team they know they are,” he said. ” I told them that in all four sets, we got to 15 first. In order for us to do something we’ve never done, we have to win the fifth set.”
Sophomore hitter Katie Terrell immediately set the tone with a kill, while senior setter Mia Trejo scored on an ace, Taylor hit a ball out of bounds, and Cuplin added a cross court kill on a backward set from Trejo.
And though the Ducks got the next two points, Terrell responded with an ace. After Taylor suffered a hitting error, the Ducks called a timeout.
When they came back on the court with Marble Falls leading 7-2, Cuplin and Terrell each had kills. Reynoso added a directional tip and freshman Brighton Bernard recorded a kill off a set by junior hitter Payton Dunk to reach match point.
And just like she started the set, Terrell ended the match with a thunderous kill on a long rally.
Pace was quiet for a moment as he replayed the last three sets in his mind.
“We’re going to make you earn everything and we’ll take everything,” he said. “If you give it to us, we’ll take it.”
Marble Falls travels to Jarrell Friday, Oct. 4. The first match is at 5 p.m.
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CAPTION: Marble Falls sophomore Madison Cuplin (left) and junior Leslie Reynoso block a Taylor kill. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
