The Maiden volleyball team fell to Canyon West Plains (31-11 overall, 12-2 in district) in Frenship yesterday in bi-district, 25-11, 25-21, 25-16.
As the Maidens went up against a powerhouse like West Plains, they needed to focus.
“We need to be on the same page and be selfless,” senior outside hitter Malia Richardson said. “We need to know what we can do and not get in our heads when going against them.”
The Maidens had an overall record of 26-10 and a 6-4 district record.
“One of the biggest improvements is the team unity,” Coach Amanda Kirkpatrick said. “The girls genuinely care about and play hard for each other. They have also really improved their individual skills, which has had a great effect overall.”
The Maidens finally got over a district hump as they defeated rival Andrews, which was ranked No. 7 in state, on Oct. 17.
“I’ve improved on my setting and as a whole,” senior setter Zylah Guenther said. “When we played them, we went in without stress, had fun and played hard.”
District came with highs in lows, like losing to Monahans in four sets immediately of the high from defeating Andrews.
“It was really mental,” senior outside hitter Allison Lacy said. “We were really happy about Andrews, and we didn’t put much thought into Monahans. We didn’t study film like we should have.”
The Maidens defeated their final district opponent, Pecos, 25-13, 26-24, 22-25, 25-8, on Saturday before falling to Denver City in three in a practice game on Monday in preparation for yesterday’s bi-district match.
