SHEPHERD — The Shepherd Lady Pirates opened the 2026 volleyball season in impressive fashion, overcoming a slow start to defeat Alpha Omega Academy of Huntsville in four sets on Aug. 11.
The Lady Pirates dropped the opening set 25-17, but instead of letting the early deficit dictate the night, Shepherd settled in and found its rhythm. The Pirates answered by winning the next three sets, 25-22, 25-17 and 25-21, to claim the season-opening victory.
Senior outside hitter Abbey Anderson acknowledged the slow start but was proud of how her teammates responded. “We were cold to start the game, but we warmed up for all the sets. We brought it together.”
Coldspring
The Coldspring Lady Trojans traveled Highway 150 on Thursday to neighboring New Waverly to take part in the annual New Waverly Volleyball Tournament, joining a strong field of teams from throughout the area. The tournament atmosphere was everything a volleyball fan could ask for, with a packed gym, two courts running simultaneously, and plenty of energy surrounding every match.
With teams competing in close quarters, the Lady Trojans were ready to test themselves against some of the area's best competition.
Coldspring opened tournament play against a talented Normangee squad, and the Lady Trojans quickly showed they were ready for the challenge. Although Normangee came away with the victory, Coldspring kept both sets within striking distance, falling 25-19 and 25-21. The Lady Trojans showed good composure throughout the match and battled for every point, but Normangee was able to maintain just enough momentum to secure the opening-round win.
While the result was not what Coldspring wanted, the match provided another valuable opportunity for the Lady Trojans to gain experience under their new coaching staff and continue learning what it will take to compete at a high level.
On Aug. 10, the Lady Trojans took another positive step forward Monday night as they wrapped up their preseason scrimmage schedule against Latexo.
From the opening serve, it was evident that the Lady Trojans are becoming more comfortable with the new playbook. Communication was sharper, execution improved, and the confidence gained from the previous scrimmages was on full display.
Coldspring controlled the first two sets, earning victories of 25-18 and 25-21. The Lady Trojans looked poised and aggressive, showing improvement both at the net and from the service line.
As the scrimmage progressed, Coach Jones began rotating players through different positions to evaluate combinations and gain valuable experience for younger athletes. Latexo capitalized on the adjustments, edging Coldspring 30-28 in a tightly contested third set before claiming the fourth set 26-24.
