After every pass, the crowd pushed closer to the edge of its seats. The Coppell High School Arena held an air of tension while the Cowgirls volleyball team rallied against Keller, intertwined with cheers.

Keller proved a challenge for Coppell from talent on both the defensive and offensive sides. Keller solidified its lead in the first set and established a trend for the rest of the night.

The Cowgirls lost to Keller in three consecutive sets, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16, on Friday at CHS Arena.

Coppell coach Robyn Ross expressed having a younger team withheld the Cowgirls from the response needed to defeat Keller.

“The chemistry piece is still forming in the team as they try to navigate playing against new people, and against much older girls,” Ross said. “There is not necessarily something that is broken, they just have to learn to be more consistent.”

Coppell junior opposite hitter Mari Hill felt similarly regarding team connection reflecting the team’s performance.

“We still have a lot of communication to improve upon, because this is a new lineup for everyone,” Hill said. “I think that being louder and talking more to find that good connection between each other is something we can work on.”

There were moments when Coppell players showed promise, according to Ross.

“The girls handled the serve well and did a great job keeping their energy up so as not to repeat mistakes,” Ross said. “The team is going to continue working on blocking and defense in preparation for Tuesday.”

Coppell junior libero Molly Williams held up the defense with her digs, while sophomore Brooke Felix led with kills on offense.

“We are not there yet, but there are glimpses of greatness in every match they play,” Ross said. “We are learning what works and what doesn’t work a little more every match and the girls are doing a great job coming into their confidence.”

Coppell plays at Royse City on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

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