BANGS – Victories have been hard to come by for the Brownwood volleyball team this season, and Tuesday night was no exception as the Bangs Lady Dragons won two of the first three sets before the Lady Lions rallied for a five-set victory, 27-29, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21, 16-14.
The win is the second in the last three matches for Brownwood (4-13) after suffering through an eight-match skid.
“I have to give it to Bangs, they came in with a lot of heart, they played hard, and they got some really great balls that landed their way,” said Lady Lions head coach Allison Smith. “We came in very tense, very scared to make a mistake. But they fought hard, they did a lot to come away with the win tonight, but we have to play better than that.”
Though Bangs (8-13) came up short, head coach Cheyanne Lovelady believes the Lady Dragons’ performance Tuesday can set the table for the rest of the season.
“I’m definitely super proud of them,” Lovelady said. “The girls are starting to come together as a team and it’s really exciting. The girls are being super coachable. This performance was definitely a win in my book tonight. The girls came out so excited and I’ve been preaching all year it doesn’t matter who you play, just go out and swing like you would against anyone else and I think they’re finally starting to get that and starting to see that it doesn’t matter who they play, they’re capable.”
Ibis Alvarado ignited the Lady Lions’ performance with 15 kills, 13 aces, 18 assists and 13 digs.
Also chipping in on the offensive end were Aniah Hines with nine kills, Miranda Northcutt with eight, Ava Choate with five, Aubrie Felux with four, and Emma Ringer and Kassidy Wooten with two apiece.
Felux tacked on five aces, Hines tallied four, Wooten recorded three, Ringer notched two and Choate added one.
Defensively, Wooten logged 44 digs trailed by 12 from Choate, eight from Ringer, five each from Felux and Hines, four from Northcutt, and two each from Hannah Deen and Molly Oliver.
Hines and Northcutt also contributed one block apiece.
Bangs’ effort featured eight kills from Jadyn Miller, trailed by six from Neeley Bradley, three each from Rylee Hutchins, Kasey Solis and Ava Boren, and one from Laynie Evans.
Miller also served three aces followed by two from Bradley and one apiece from Boren and Julianna Ethridge.
Bradley was credited with nine assists and Evans chipped in six.
On the defensive end, Solis notched two blocks and Miller and Emily Baker contributed one apiece.
Miller led the way with 24 digs followed by Ethridge with 16, Hutchins with 11, Evans with eight, Boren with seven, Solis with six, Bradley with five, and Baker with three.
In the tie-breaking fifth set, the Lady Lions tallied the first three points behind the serving of Alvarado, which had been a team weakness through the first four sets. Another ace from Wooten allowed Brownwood to extend its advantage to 7-2, before Bangs gradually began its comeback attempt.
The Lady Dragons crept within 10-8, but another ace from Alvarado and a couple of Bangs hitting errors allowed the Lady Lion to boost the advantage to 13-8.
Bangs, however, made a final charge and reeled six of the next seven points to draw even at 14. A string of three straight Lady Dragons’ points was snapped when Bangs was whistled for a net violation, pushing Brownwood back in front, 15-14. Then, Hines delivered the game-winning kill for the Lady Lions.
“We only had two service errors in the last set but that was after a good run of three or four aces or tough serves that gave us a good set up to get our offense going,” Smith said. “Our offense does have to get stronger at the net, though. I noticed blocking was a really big weakness for us.”
Lovelady singled out the Lady Dragons’ ability time and again to “overcome adversity and be mentally tough,” she said. “I’ve got such a young group, just one senior and at times I have five sophomores on the court. We only have eight players as well, so playing five sets like that and going all out, 100 percent all the time is something I’m extremely proud of.”
Bangs emerged victorious in the first set as its lead peaked at 22-18 before Brownwood attempted its comeback. The Lady Lions stormed back to draw even at 23 and 24 and took a 25-24 lead. Bangs answered with the next two points to grab a 26-25 lead, then Brownwood reclaimed a 27-26 edge. But a service error, a kill by Boren and an ace from Bradley allowed the Lady Dragons to record the final three points and the victory.
“The first set was so back and forth, and we had seven service errors, six balls on the floor that nobody went after and I don’t know how many hitting errors,” Smith said. “We gave them a lot of points and they took advantage of it and took the momentum. That first set is important and sets the standard.”
Brownwood bounced back and earned a 25-17 win in the second set, but Bangs pushed the Lady Lions to the brink of defeat with a third set 25-20 decision.
The fourth set featured Brownwood in early control, and the Lady Lions’ lead peaked at 16-10. After a time out, the Lady Dragons clawed from behind and evened the score at 17. With the score still even at 20, Bangs was whistled for a lifting call, Ringer served two aces for Brownwood and a hitting error by the Lady Dragons allowed the Lady Lions to open a 23-19 advantage, and eventually force a fifth set.
The Lady Lions are back in action at 6 p.m. Friday at Lampasas and open District 6-4A action at Glen Rose on Sept. 23
“It’s important for the girls’ confidence going into district next week,” Smith said of the Lady Lions not playing their best, yet still finding a way to win. “We have a tough opponent starting off with Glen Rose at Glen Rose, and all of our first-round games are away. We have to be better playing road games and playing through adversity.”
Bangs will venture to Bronte at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in its final outing before the 6-2A slate begins Sept. 24 at home against Albany.
“I kept telling them earlier in the year it was OK, that we didn’t want to peak yet, and I think now is the perfect time,” Lovelady said. “They’re coming together, being coachable and I’m ready to teach them more so we can be ready to challenge Albany and Hawley.”
