Lady Bulldog volleyball looked as though they would control Tuesday’s season opener at Shepherd, but the Class 4A school regrouped to win in five sets 16-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-25 and 15-4.
Corrigan-Camden got off to a hot start in the first set, racing out to a 7-0 lead. Shepherd would answer, closing the gap to 9-7. The visiting Lady Bulldogs then rolled off nine consecutive points, securing the opener.
Much like the first set, Corrigan grabbed control early at 10-1 in the next. Shepherd would again answer, getting within one at 18-17, then tying the game at 20 each. The Lady Pirates took their first lead of the night on the next serve. Tied at 22 each, Shepherd seized the final three points to even the match at 1-1.
“I was just telling them that you have to play consistent the whole time,” Corrigan-Camden coach Grace Horne said. “It takes that rhythm and we did have an injured player (senior Brissia Pablo), so it kind of messed up the groove, I think. She got injured the first set, and we won that one. It is a sprained ankle.”
Shepherd continued their improved play early in the third, finding a 10-5 advantage before Corrigan-Camden called time out. The break in play did little to slow Lady Pirate momentum. The Lady Dogs would get within two, but Shepherd prevailed by five.
Filled with ties and lead changes, the fourth set was a tight one at 9-9. Corrigan scored the next four and got further separation at 20-14. They would send it to a fifth and deciding set.
“They are bringing the energy this year,” Horne said of her club. “I feel like it is a younger group. We have four sophomores and one freshman that are still learning how to play with each other and play together. It is tough after last year, not having those two seniors anymore.”
Again, the Lady Dogs looked to have a chance for the win with a 2-0 advantage, but the home team roared back, scoring 10 straight for the easy victory.
The Lady Dogs also roster three juniors and two seniors, so they have a good mix of each classification. Pablo and Allonah Foss are the two seniors, who Horne says are "definitely" the team leaders.
“I think we will continue like we were last year, because we still have some returners,” she said. “They are ready to go past the bi-district round, and they have already been talking about that. I told them that we have to start here in the first game of the season. They like to talk about (playoffs), but I don't. I like to wait with no expectations to make it a little easier and just play week by week.”
Horne said the team sets both personal and goals as a group. After the contested match with a school two classifications larger, Corrigan-Camden should be able to use the loss to correct mistakes, yet feel good about the team's direction. They next head to the Palestine tournament, before returning home for a match with Diboll.
