The Pilot Point Lady Cats earned their second district win of the season, coming from behind to beat the Valley View Lady Eagles in a seesaw affair, three sets to two, Oct. 2.
The Lady Cats pounced on their opponent in the opening set, but the Lady Eagles stole the momentum midway through the contest, forcing Pilot Point to claw their way to the win in a nailbiter.
“I was super proud of them,” Pilot Point head volleyball coach Jessica Ledbetter said. “When you can battle through adversity, down two sets to one like we did against Callisburg, that just shows the strength and mental toughness of our athletes and, sometimes, that’s what these games come down to. … Its finishing and getting the W, and they did that tonight.”
Ledbetter added that the Lady Cats are playing with extra motivation as they continue working toward their season long goals.
“You can tell they want a chance to hunt for a playoff spot, and they not going to lie down and let anybody take it from them,” she said.
Pilot Point raced out to an early lead in the match’s opening set, building a double-digit lead, 24-13, and eventually taking Set 1, 25-14.
The second set was much more closely contested, with the two trading points throughout the period and Valley View holding the edge 25--20, tying the match at one set apiece.
The two teams continued to trade points in Set 3, finding themselves tied 6-6 until the Lady Eagles were able to build a 4-point lead, 14-10, midway through the set, eventually taking it, 25-20, and taking a lead in the match, two sets to one.
With the match on the line, the Lady Cats regained their footing, winning Set 4, 25-15, and forcing the contest into a fifth and final set.
The final set saw the two teams continue to trade points, until Lady Cats outside hitter Lola Dixon fired a shot by a Lady Eagles backline defender for the set’s final point to win it, 1614, and the match.
“Coming back from a 2-1 deficit, is probably one of the best things you can do in a volleyball game,” Pilot Point middle blocker Kara Delgado said. “Winning in the fifth set is amazing, [and] it feels great to get another win under out belts.”
Defensive specialist Shelby French said the Lady Cats fed off the energy from their home crowd to pull off the comeback win.
“Sometimes, people say that it makes them nervous when a lot of people come to the games, but when we have a big crowd like that, especially at a home game, it lights a fire for us,” she said. Middle blocker Alliyah Smith echoed her teammates’ sentiments on the win.
“We put our hearts on that court tonight,” she said. “We all wanted to fight for it, and everybody in the stands wanted it for us too, so it felt even more special to get the win tonight.”
Smith led Pilot Point with 16 kills, followed by outside hitter Shannon Taylor, who had 11 kills.
Libero Ava Koonce set the for the Lady Cats’ defense with 35 digs, followed by Dixon, who added 23 digs.
Setter duo, Darbi Smalskas and Reese Chandler, combined for 42 assists on the night.
The night was made even more special for the Lady Cats, with their seniors— Delgado, French, Opal Ivy, Alden Quave, McKayla Rushing, Smith and Taylor— being recognized for their hard work and dedication to the program during senior night festivities before the match. “Graduating seniors is always hard because you’ve watched them grow not only as players, but also as people. It has been a privilege to have this senior class because I’ve coached them since I started here,” Ledbetter said. “… I told them it will be hard to walk into the gym next year without seeing their smiles or feeling the positivity and energy they bring to the program. They’re an amazing group of young women.”
Taylor said she hopes the win helps the Lady Cats continue to build on the steps they’ve taken this season.
“This has been the season where we’ve had the most matches go to four or five sets,” she said. “We’ve been scrappy, we’ve built a trust other, and we know who we are.”
Lady Cats loss to the Boyd Yellowjackets on Tuesday night and will look to return to the winner’s circle on the road against Callisburg at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Callisburg High School.
