Lady Blues volleyball sees successful weekend
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Graham junior varsity player Emily Epperson (12) stands tall at the net while Ashton Reese (3) and Tavia Shead (4) assist in a win over Gold-Burg during the Bryson Small School Shootout on Thursday. The JV went on to take the varsity title on Saturday. Leader photo by Travis Martinez
Coming off their first tournaments of the season, the Lady Blues volleyball team put their youth and inexperience behind them and played like a team filled with veterans.
The varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams each participated in championship games over the weekend, with two of the three being crowned tournament champs.
Graham’s varsity traveled to the south plains region of the state to battle at the BSN Shallowater Varsity Tournament. After taking the title last year, the Lady Blues nearly won their second straight tournament.
The three-and-a-half hour bus ride didn’t seem to bother the Lady Blues. Graham breezed through their pool play-opener in the opening day of the tournament by defeating Brownfield 2-0, (25-16, 25-22) and a very tough Lubbock All Saints team 2-1 (25-23, 28-30 and 25-18).
All Saints began the match with a 9-8 lead before an ace from Reese Echols evened the score and seemed to fuel the Lady Blues from there on.
However, Denver City took first in Pool A by winning against Graham 2-1 (25-19 and 29-27)
A 2-1 showing in their respective pool put the Lady Blues second in Pool A with bracket play starting Saturday.
A Levelland team which advanced to the third round of the playoffs last year proved to be no tough competition for Graham, as the Lady Blues took match 2-1, (25-17, 22-25 and 25-20).
After going 30-12 in 2017, Class 3A Amarillo Highland Park gave the Lady Blues a three-set thriller but Graham got the better of the Lady Hornets 2-1 (25-21, 22-25 and 25-20).
The 2-0 start to Championship Saturday put the Lady Blues into the tournament title game for the second straight year. In the end, the team fell to Denver City for the second time in as many days, 2-1 (25-20, 15-25 and 22-25).
After four lead changes in the opening set, the Lady Blues took the second set handily by closing the set on a 11-4 run, thanks in large part to three Denver City (6-0) errors for points.
The Lady Fillies jumped out to a 17-7 advantage before taking the final set, 25-22.
Graham (4-3) will get a chance at redemption possibly, with Denver City set to take part in this weekend’s Lu Allen Tournament.
“We got to play a lot of volleyball this weekend and that’s exactly what my team needed,” head coach Marci Faulk said. “They girls improved so much from the start of play on Friday.”
Chloe Menard, Britain Thayer, Jillian Wendel, Alex Husen and Morgan Patterson each contributed to the 4-2 weekend.
Sarah Curd’s junior varsity team swept through the Bryson Small School Shootout over the weekend. The squad, which features all sophomores, defeated all varsity teams on their way to a tournament title.
The JV hammered Woodson (25-3, 25-6) and Gold-Burg (25-6, 25-7) to open play on Thursday.
Leah Holland’s ace in the second set against Woodson put Graham up by...
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