By Allie Arnold
Staff Writer
As district play ended and playoffs began, the Coppell Cowgirls played their first game against Grapevine Mustangs with a strong desire for a third state title.
Lindsay Stivers stepped up to serve which was immediately returned by Grapevine. The Cowgirls easily put it back in play, set it up to senior outside hitter Kate Dicken, and killed it for the first point of the night.
The Cowgirls were able to easily settle into the game as they remained focus and tough on defense. Senior libero Alex Silver and junior defensive specialist/outside hitter Natalie Gilbert fought hard on the back row, diving for balls and doing everything possible to keep the ball in play.
As the game progressed, junior setter Kylie Pickrell used her left hand to her advantage when she jumped up from front row and swung cross-body for a trick play. The Cowgirls continued to play scrappy on offense, tipping when necessary, and getting to the block quickly.
Grapevine was tough on offense as well, with quick sets and quick swings. There were many kills from Grapevine’s outside that kept the Mustangs hanging in the game with the Cowgirls for the majority of the first set. The final score for the first game ended up being 25-18, giving the Cowgirls an advantage going into the second set.
The beginning of the second game was rocky for the Cowgirls as they struggled in defense and were temporarily dominated by Grapevine’s offensive hitters. The Cowgirls had trouble getting to the ball, resulting in points adding up in Grapevine’s favor.
The Cowgirls managed to stay in it with Grapevine due to tips from the front row as well as other smart plays. However, after failing to cover the block and a net error, the Cowgirls called a timeout with Grapevine leading 9-7.
After a few more errors from the Cowgirls, Grapevine began making offensive mistakes, giving the Cowgirls a lead of 19-16. From there, the rest of the second set was finished quickly after junior middle blocker Mary Kate Marshall’s and Dicken’s kills became prominent every play. The ending score for the second match was 25-20 with another win for the Cowgirls.
The third set was full of great offensive plays from Coppell. Dicken and Marshall continued to swing through Grapevine’s block, giving the Cowgirls an early advantage with a score of 9-3. Sophomore outside hitter Jamie Stivers was put in the third game and swung hard to put the ball away. After many more smart offensive plays, the Cowgirls ended the third game with a score of 25-12.
The Cowgirls celebrated their first win with excitement and eagerness for what is to come.
“The atmosphere in playoffs is much different than in district,” junior middle blocker Laura Hogan said. “You play with a lot more intensity in both practices and games, knowing it could possibly be your last. At this point, we are going to continue playing with that same intensity and try to advance each round.”
