The Pilot Point Lady Cats secured their second district win of the season, coming from behind to beat the Valley View Eagles 3-2 on Oct. 3.
The plucky Eagles flew out of the gate and caught the Lady Cats flat-footed, taking the first set, but Pilot Point recovered and found a way to dig out the victory in the wire-to-wire match and snap their recent losing streak.
“We’ve been like gunning for this one for a couple games now, and they earned it,” said Pilot Point head volleyball coach Jessica Ledbetter. “This just helps solidify that we are a good team, and that we’re a team that can rival other teams in the district. This was just what we needed going into the second half of district.”
Valley Views hit the hardwood locked-in, winning Set 1 25-18, building a lead and ultimately taking the win while Pilot Point struggled to find their rhythm.
The Lady Cats found their footing in the second set, turning it into a back-and-forth contest where the two teams traded haymakers as they tried to get the set’s final two points.
Pilot Point was able to take the set 30-28 and tie the match 1-1, with timely kills by their offense and costly moments of miscommunication from the Valley View team.
The Lady Cats continued their hot streak in the third set, which they won 25-20.
Despite the heartbreaking end in the second set and losing the third, the Eagles roared back to life in Set 4 to beat the Lady Cats 25-19 and tie the match 2-2.
Pilot Point jumped out to a 6-1 lead to open the fifth set and found themselves up 10-4 before closing out the game, set and match 15-8.
Middle blocker Alliyah Smith led the Lady Cats offense with 17 kills, followed by outside hitter Shannon Taylor, who had 11 kills.
Setter Darbi Smalskas orchestrated Pilot Points’ offense with 37 assists in the match and credited her performance to her chemistry with her teammates.
“It’s not a one-on-one connection; I have to connect with everyone,” she said. “We have to work on it individually and say, ‘We’re going to do this,’ and then combine all that together. … That helps us play smart and know where we’re going to place the ball. Then we get the point, and our energy is up; we’re ready to get the next one.”
On the other side of the ball, Ledbetter also highlighted the performances of libero Ava Koonce and defensive specialist Shelby French, who received the game’s MVP medal.
“As one of the leaders on defense, I feel like I have to be scrappy all the time,” Koonce said. “I have to be ready for anything, so my motto is, ‘Don’t let the ball hit the ground,’ and I think it helps because it keeps the ball up and gives us a chance to be able to put it get it over the net, or [put it down for a kill].”
Ledbetter said the Lady Cats’ effort on defense was key in the win and emphasized that French helped set the tone in that department.
“Mental toughness and energy are big in every sport,” French said. “If you can get in the other team’s head early on, they’ll probably feel like they can’t do anything against you. … And playing with great energy like we did tonight just brings everybody up, and when the energy is up, it feels like no one can make a mistake, and if they do, it doesn’t even matter.”
Pilot Point followed their win over Valley View with a 3-0 loss to Whitesboro on Tuesday night and will return to the court for a home matchup with Callisburg at 4 p.m. Friday.
