The Aubrey Lady Chaparrals varsity volleyball team continued their recent winning streak, knocking off the Northwest Lady Texans three sets to none Tuesday evening.
The Lady Chaps started slow, but once they found their footing, they took control of the match to earn their 23rd win of the season.
“We did a really good job in Set 1; it took us probably 7-8 points to get going, but then we did a really good job of controlling the momentum,” said Whitney Marriott, Aubrey head volleyball coach. “That helped us get our offense going, and we carried that into Set 2. … We didn’t play as clean as we want to in the third set but cleaned it up towards the end and did a good job of finishing it out.”
Northwest jumped out to an early lead in the first set, but Aubrey got rolling and eventually took the lead and the set 25-13.
The second set was more closely contested, with the two teams trading kills, until the Lady Chaps were able to pull away at the end and win the set 25-20.
The Lady Texans built a lead again in the third set, but the Lady Chaps once again battled their way from behind to take the set 25-21 and win the match 3-0.
“In the last set, I think we realized we were giving them points and not making them earn them,” Marriott said. “Once we went back to making them earn it and creating our own luck, we were able to dig back into the set and steal the momentum back.”
The win marked the Lady Chaps' ninth in a row, and Marriott credited the winning streak to the coachability and effort of her players.
“After last week, we really challenged them to dig deep, find our identity, and figure out what this team is made of,” she said. “We changed the lineup, and it sparked something in us, and that really propelled us into the last tournament, and we’ve been playing well. … The girls are really starting to be confident in themselves and believe that this team is capable of doing special things.”
Middle blocker Paisley Hopper led the team with 13 kills, followed by outside hitter Chloe Miller, who had 12 kills.
Setter duo Landry Hampton and Reese Martino combined for 44 assists, while libero Emma Conley and utility player Jentry Runion led the defense with 44 combined digs.
Marriott highlighted the play of Conley, who started as a freshman last season but has stepped into a larger role in her second year on varsity.
“Last year was my first year on varsity, and I was new to the team and the speed of everything,” Conley said. “As a sophomore I know Coach [Marriott’s] defense a lot better, and I can help guide the other liberos and [defensive specialists]. … We all know each other and are used to playing next to each other, and that’s really helped our chemistry.”
Runion, who plays multiple positions, echoed her libero’s sentiments on the Lady Chaps' chemistry.
'We're all willing to do whatever we need to do in whatever role,” she said. “… Last year our season didn’t end how we wanted it to end, so we started deciding then that we would do whatever it took to improve for the better of the team: our attitudes, our emotions, the locker room, everything. From the get-go this season, we knew what we wanted to do: something higher, something better and play with more love and support for each other.”
Aubrey will hit the road for a matchup with Frisco Independence High School at 5 p.m. Friday before returning home to face the Ponder Lady Lions at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
