The Dublin Lady Lions split wins last week, conquering Meridian at home 3-0 Tuesday, Sept. 1 and falling to the Lady Bearcats in DeLeon 3-1 Saturday, Sept. 5.
“These last two matches showed a lot of growth in our team,” said head volleyball coach Hannah Smith. “Saturday morning against De Leon, we battled for four sets and fell short, but we continued to compete and work through some tough moments.”
The Lady Lions started slow against DeLeon in the away battle but found their groove, scoring 17 to DeLeon’s 25 in the first set thanks to a late streak against the home team. The Lady Lions rallied back in set two taking it 26-24 in a fiercely fought skirmish. DeLeon took set three and four but not before Dublin scored 20 in set three and 15 in set four.
This followed a three-set victory over Meridian Sept. 1 where the visitors scored 22, 18 and 16 to Dublin’s 25s.
“Against Meridian, we really saw the team chemistry we’ve been working toward since early in the season come together,” said Smith. “The communication, trust, energy, and willingness to play for each other were all there. It felt like we were finally seeing pieces of what we’ve been working on translate into the way we played.”
“We still have plenty to clean up, but we’re moving in the right direction at the right time,” she continued. “With district play ahead, we’re looking forward to competing, continuing to grow, and hopefully ruffling a few feathers along the way.”
Lady Lions athletic directory Brandon Haught also announced Heidy Osornio as athlete of the week, saying: “Heidy has been very helpful to her teammates and coaches this week in many different ways. She doesn’t wait to be asked, she just goes out of her way to help others. Heidy is the type of teammate that the Lady Lions strive to be like. We are super proud of Heidy and all she does for Lady Lion athletics!”