The Lady Chaparrals volleyball team officially tipped off volleyball season in Aubrey, sweeping the Farmersville Lady Farmers three sets in their home opener Tuesday evening.
Despite having multiple new faces on the hardwood, the Lady Chaps have maintained their dominant play, controlling the rhythm of the match from the opening volley and dismantling the Lady Farmers on both sides of the ball.
“We did a really good job being offensive, spreading the ball around and getting all of our hitters involved,” Aubrey head volleyball coach Whitney Marriott said. “Our defense also did a much better job flying around tonight. That's been our focus on defense, going for everything, and I thought we did a really good job picking up a lot of different things.”
The Lady Chaps pounced on their opponent early, finding themselves up 11-3 after the first few minutes of play, and sustained their lead, winning the opening set 2513.
The score was closer in the second set, with Farmersville keeping Aubrey’s lead to single digits, but the Lady Chaps were able to exploit enough gaps in the Lady Farmers’ defense to win the set 25-19.
The Lady Chaps poured on the points in the third and final set, overpowering their opponent and beating the Lady Farmers 25-9.
Marriott said she was proud of her team’s performance and highlighted multiple members of the team for their production during the match.
“Shae [Ward] is doing a really good job for us coming in, [and] she’s gaining a lot of confidence,” Marriott said. “Emma [Conley] is a freshman out there but is really starting to fly around. Our setter, Baylee [Hampton], is also doing a great job, continuing to get all of our hitters involved, and all of our hitters are starting to get hot, so we're doing a lot of really good things.”
Hampton, 4A Region II District 9’s reigning Setter of the Year, continued to drop dimes for the Lady Chaps’ offense, leading the way with 30 assists.
Two of the standouts Marriott highlighted—senior middle blocker Ward and freshman libero Conley— are recent additions to the Lady Chaps roster but seem to be fitting in well with the team.
Conley, who led the team with 22 digs, said her teammates and coaches have helped her get over her pregame jitters and adjust to the speed of the varsity game.
“The game is a lot faster,” she said. “I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to pick up anything or fit in with the team, but everybody is really nice, and I've learned a lot from the coaches, and I feel like I've gotten a lot better. … Knowing they believe in me makes me less nervous and lets me know that I belong on this team and that I can do things to help us win.”
Ward, who joined the Lady Chaps for her senior season after most recently playing for the Lady Rangers of Lone Star High School in Frisco, said her new teammates and coaches welcomed her to Aubrey with open arms.
“I was [nervous] that I wouldn't like fit in, because it's my senior year, but I feel like the coaches and my teammates have helped me so much,” she said. “The girls are amazing, and this team’s energy is just amazing.”
Ward has moved right into position and helped spearhead the Lady Chaps offense, leading the team with 14 kills in the match.
The win marks the Lady Chaps’ 17th of the season, bringing their overall record to 17-2, and Marriott spoke highly of the work her team has put in to continue Aubrey’s tradition of excellence on the hardwood.
“They have really high goals,” she said. “They come in every day, they hold each other accountable, and they're not satisfied with just being where they are. They want to build off what the team did last year and continue to push, and they know what it will take to get there.”
The Lady Chaps were scheduled to return to the court for a varsity volleyball tournament hosted at Nocona High School Thursday through Saturday, before traveling to Melissa to face the Lady Cardinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Lady Chaps defenders Ava Thompson and Kylie Miller soar for a block attempt as the home crowd stands on their feet during Aubrey’s win over Farmersville on Tuesday. Martin Edwards/ The Post-Signal
