BANGS – A roster highlighted by seven seniors and four freshmen meshed well in their 2021 season debut, as the Bangs Lady Dragons volleyball team rolled past Coleman, 25-13, 25-21, 25-19 Tuesday night.
“I’m super proud of the girls,” said Bangs third-year head coach Cheyanne Lovelady. “They’re working really hard and they have so much room to grow, but overall they’re working their tails off for me. They’re moving and they’re working as a team so overall I’m just really proud of them.”
Bangs dominated the first set, while Coleman provided more of a challenge throughout the second set and the early portion of the third. The Lady Dragons, however, went on a 13-2 run late in the third set to put the match away.
What impressed Lovelady most Tuesday night was, “seeing them work together since there’s so many new kids. It didn’t matter who I put on the court, everyone did a really good job and stepped up and played well when I needed them to.”
Lovelady added she was particularly impressed with “watching my freshmen go from the little eighth graders that they were last year to stepping up and being able to play at this level with my seniors.”
During the first set, Bangs jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Coleman crept within a point at 4-3. The Lady Dragons fired off the next five points – aided by a pair of spikes from Rachel Solis – to open a 9-3 lead and never looked back.
Bangs led by no fewer than five points the remainder of the set as Maggie Morales controlled the action at the net and also served a pair of aces.
In the second set, Bangs grabbed a quick 5-2 lead but Coleman knotted the score 9-9. The Lady Dragons quickly reestablished a 13-10 cushion only to fall behind, 15-14, and face their first deficit of the match. Bangs answered with the next four points, regaining an 18-15 edge, and held off Coleman down the stretch,
A similar scenario followed in the third set as Bangs faced a 9-8 deficit. An unforced Coleman error allowed the Lady Dragon to draw even, then Morales followed with a block that put Bangs back in front, 10-9, and shifted the entire complexion of the set. The Lady Dragons registered 11 of the next 13 points to open a double-digit lead at 21-11.
The Lady Dragons (1-0) will be back in action Thursday through Saturday at the Albany tournament – the first of three consecutive weekends of tournament action for Bangs.
