Marble Falls volleyball beats Taylor, turns attention to Jarrell

CAPTION: Junior Kate McCary’s versatility allows coaches to use her in a variety of positions and her defensive prowess is why she stays on the court. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School volleyball team beat Taylor 15-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-19 Oct. 25 to set up a regular season finale with Jarrell with playoff implications.

The Lady Mustangs (21-16, 5-6) must beat the Lady Cougars (19-18, 4-7) to finish fourth in District 24-4A and advance to the playoffs. But if Jarrell wins, the two teams will finish tied for fourth in the standings. Most of the time, squads meet on a neutral site to play a match to determine which team advances.

“We’re giving ourselves two chances because we won the first match,” head coach Christopher Pace said. “I think we’re able to mentally handle what people throw at us. We’ve played and faced strong competition throughout the year. We’re giving ourselves two chances. They’re excited.”

Marble Falls beat Jarrell 25-23, 29-27, 15-25, 25-22 to end the first round of district play Oct. 4.

Pace noted the contest against Taylor started later than scheduled. The freshman match went longer than expected then Taylor conducted its family night where they honored players and their families. The result was starting minutes later than what Marble Falls is used to.

Taylor may have felt energized at the beginning.

“We had to get back at it and get going,” Pace said. “I chalk it up to a long bus ride. That was the longest of the season.”

He noted the Lady Mustangs showed some offensive rhythm toward the end of the first game that “was the catalyst for the next three sets.”

One big key for the Lady Mustangs was the play at the net, Pace said.

“We played phenomenal at the net,” he said. “We got a bunch of blocks and a bunch of touches. A big point of emphasis is if we can get that touch on the ball, it makes life so much easier for the back row.”

He noted every district member does well at the net and being strong and aggressive there is a must for his team. That means getting footwork and timing correct along with reading what the opponent wants to do in order to defend it properly.

Pace commended junior libero Kenadi Dalton, sophomore hitter Katie Terrell and junior Kate McCary. Terrell was a force on the front row where she avoided being blocking and used directional tips to her advantage by finding the defensive holes and placing the ball there for points.

“Katie’s been playing middle for us because of depth issues. She owns her position,” the coach said. “Kenadi played very well. She was ready and reading it and flying to our corners. Kate’s motor never stops. She has over 350 digs on the year. She’s been a force defensively. It’s really hard to get a ball past her. She’s playing great and is so versatile. “

The varsity wasn’t the only Marble Falls volleyball team to defeat Taylor. The junior varsity and the freshmen also were victorious, which meant a happy bus ride back.

“Our freshmen have been really strong all year,” Pace said. “The junior varsity came out on fire. It was a season sweep and a program sweep. To go in and be able to battle an established program is a sign of growth. It gives us leeway. The girls did everything and made every play.”

CAPTION: Junior libero Kenadi Dalton leads a back row that’s unafraid to go after kills that come fast. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro