On Oct. 13, the Lady Tiger volleyball team obtained a 4-1 win against the Greenville Lions. The game began on Texas High ground, and the team prepared themselves for the oncoming rounds of tedious serves and spikes.  

Lady Tigers lost ground in the first match, ending with a score of 23-25. Struggling to recover their stance and gain back confidence, the Lady Tigers pressed onwards.

“I felt that we started off slow and that we kind of underestimated them,” senior Jessica Bilimek said. “They’re obviously better than the last time we played them, but we eventually stepped up our game.”

The Lady Tigers pulled through and ended the second match with score of 25-22.

“One of the struggles was talking,” Bilimek said. “We didn’t talk to each other and we got down on ourselves and that makes us mess up more.”

By the third match, the Lady Tigers were in lead and playing strong, resulting in score of 25-13. Encouragement from coach stimulated inspiration in the team members, increasing their performance and pulling out against the lions.

“We have to say okay we’re not leaving the court till after the game is over,” Hardy said. “We’re going to step up and get back in this game. We’re a lot better team than we were showing. They did a good job showing that.”

The Lady Tigers finished the fourth match with a final triumphant score of 25-16. However, in order to win future games, the team must continue to work hard.

“We need to work on working as a team better, instead of playing just for ourselves,” Bilimek said. “The next game is going to be tough. If we stay up from the beginning and we play like we do at practice, then we should come out with a win.”

Coach Melissa Hardy underlines the hardship of keeping the game in full swing and retaining a focused mind throughout the matches.

“At first, it was getting the momentum, we came out and we were a little flat,” Hardy said. “Of course the referee makes calls, and because it’s a momentum game he can cost you a few points and lose that momentum. But as a team, we have to step up and do our job.”

In addition, teammates stressed on the need for developing tactic and strategy skills, so the oncoming games can be played more efficiently.
“We can improve on our defense, blocking and serving,” senior Kristin Mcduffie said. “I think we’ll do good this coming friday, we just have to play hard and want it more than anything else.”