LadyCats Continue to Improve!!
These Girls Don't Quit!!!
September 02, 2009
Oh my gosh.......what a great volleyball match folks got to see in Chico last night!! The Newcastle Ladycats traveled the rough and tumble back roads of Jack and Wise Counties Tuesday night to play the Lady Dragons of Chico in what the Lady Dragons and their fans believed would a be a quick and easy three game match.
And it nearly was until the LadyCats decided that they weren't quite ready to get back on the bus. The first two games went back and forth with the Lady Dragons winning the first game 19-25 and then taking the second game 20-25. I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by the Lady Dragons and their very aggressive style of play. They served very well and had a couple of very strong hitters who could make your Daddy cry, if you got in the way of one of their spikes. I know that all of our LadyCats have bruises on their arms and chests from those vicious hits!
The third game was much the same as the first two with the Lady Dragons getting out to a good start and with the LadyCats close on their trail. The score was 19-24 with the Lady Dragons about to sweep the LadyCats in three straight games when Amy Clayborn made a pass to the front row; Kimberly Bell set the ball at the net and Haily Kramer slammed one down on the other side for the LadyCats' 20th point. Darcey Lewelling stepped up to serve for the LadyCats and before the Lady Dragons could even turn around this game was over and the LadyCats had taken game three by a 26-24 score. What just happened??? You could feel the tension in the air with several of the Lady Dragon fans already on their way out of the gym!
The fourth game was even better for the LadyCats because they used the momentum from game three to totally dominate the Lady Dragons in a 25-20 victory! Each and everyone of the LadyCats played great during this game with Haily Kramer and Tara Evans doing most of the bashing from Kimberly Bell's setting, but the stars of this game were the ladies on the back row who refused to allow the Lady Dragons to intimidate them. They refused to lose and give up. Every thing that the Lady Dragons slammed over would be put right back up in the air for the LadyCat offense to use. This match is all evened up at two games each and we were headed for the tie-breaker, fifth game!
The LadyCats did a great job of grabbing an early lead on the Lady Dragons in the fifth game. It was back and forth, back and forth. Suddenly at 11 each, the home crowd came alive and the Lady Dragon's best server carried them on her back to the final game victory of 11-15.
I want you to know that even though the LadyCats lost that match, they gained a tremendous amount of respect from the Lady Dragons and anyone who knows volleyball because they were on the brink of losing in three games and came back to nearly steal this match from the Lady Dragons. The LadyCats showed what it takes to refuse to lose and came back with a vengeance! It was quite a sight to see. So often a team will get behind and lose a game or two and then just give up. This LadyCat team showed the character it takes to become a winner in every situation. They proved to me and everyone who watched that they are growing into a very good team and one that can and will beat teams that might be better than they are athletically, but the heart of this LadyCat team will not quit or die!
Congratulations LadyCats and best of luck this week in the Jacksboro tournament.
