By Allie Arnold
Staff Writer

It was a disappointing night for the Coppell volleyball team as they lost in the third round of playoffs to Colleyville Heritage.

Two competitive and and determined teams went head to head tonight, making for a hard fought game as well as a tough loss. Both teams, relatively equal in ability and skill played scrappy defense and aggressive offense.

During the first game, both teams remained neck and neck, going back and forth in earning points. Coppell’s senior middle blocker Mary Kate Marshall was a stand out the first game, killing almost every ball that was set to her. However, Heritage had their fair share of good kills as well.

Defense was where Coppell lacked in the first game. While there were some great plays made by all defensive specialists, good tip coverage was difficult for the Cowgirls to maintain, causing them to give away a few points.

As both teams neared the 25th point, Coppell gained their lead, making the final score of the first game 25-20.

The second game was the Cowgirl’s defense’s shining moment. Senior Libero Alex Silver dove for multiple balls, keeping the play alive more often than not. Junior DS Natalie Gilbert also stood out for her relentless hustle for every ball that came her way.

Heritage defense also stood out on their side of the court. Agressive plays were made by both offenses, but were easily returned by both defenses. Keeping close in score for the majority of the game, Heritage was able to pull through in the second set with a score of 25-23.

The third set happened much like the others. Both teams remained consistent, both making smart plays and hitting multiple kills. However, Heritage was not able to come out with a win. Coppell’s offense became too aggressive as well as smart about their placement of the hit.

The fourth set was a downfall for the Cowgirls as heritage gained a big lead early on in the game. At this point it was a game of smarts, and Heritage was brilliant at placing the ball on the court everywhere Coppell wasn’t. While still maintaining aggressive defense, the Cowgirls could not seem to keep many plays alive, making the score 25-14 with a win for Heritage.

The fifth game is always a sprint to the finish, seeing that it is a game of 15 points. The fifth game happened much like the fourth. Heritage had aggressive and smart ball placement while Coppell could not seem to make many kills. The lead for Heritage grew as the game progressed until they scored the 15th point and claimed the victory as well as a spot in the next round of playoffs.

The Cowgirls took a hard loss but remained optimistic and grateful for the successful season they’ve had.

“I’m so thankful for the incredible friendships and memories made in my last year of Coppell Volleyball,” senior DS Lindsay Stivers said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better year.”