COLDSPRING — The Coldspring Lady Trojans picked up right where they left off last season, opening district play Tuesday night with a convincing 3-0 win over the New Waverly Lady Bulldogs.
The scores, 25-20, 25-18, and 25-22, showed both the Lady Trojans’ ability to control the tempo and their composure under pressure. The final set came down to the wire, tied 22-22, before Coldspring served their way to victory and sealed the first district win of the 2025 season.
Coach Dwain Anderson reflected on the night:
“We started all three games fast, which was our goal coming out. But we’ve got to do a better job finishing games,” he said. “It was a good start to district, and it gives us an idea of what we’ll face in the second round when we play New Waverly again. We’re just going to keep working and get ready for the playoffs.”
Players also echoed the determination to raise the bar even higher this year.
Senior leader Tess Phillips noted, “Their team changed a little bit too, so we had to adjust to something new playing against them. I think we played really well together as a team. Going into district, we’re going to fight hard, push each other, and push ourselves. Hopefully we’ll go 10-0 and win them all.”
Teammate and Senior Ashlyn Holley added, “I think we came in knowing everybody’s expecting a lot out of us because of what we accomplished last year. We know what we’re capable of, and we showed that tonight. Our goal is to go even higher in the games ahead.”
On Friday, Coldspring moved to 2-0 in district play with a dominant sweep over the Crockett Lady Bulldogs.
The scores, 25-4, 25-8, and 25-18, told the story of a match that was never in doubt, but still provided valuable opportunities for Coldspring’s younger players to gain experience on the court.
The opening set featured the Lady Trojans’ starting rotation, and it quickly turned into a runaway. Only four Coldspring players even had the chance to serve before the set was sealed at 25-4. By the second and third sets, Coach Anderson began working in younger players and experimenting with new plays, giving underclassmen a taste of varsity-level competition.
“It was a slow game,” Anderson said. “Crockett’s very young, but I think they’ve got some players that could be pretty good in the future. For us, it gave my younger kids a chance to get out there and get the experience they need. Obviously, it was a good second district win.”
Senior outside hitter Ashlynn Holley echoed that sentiment, saying the match was a chance to mix things up.
“This was a game for us to just practice new things,” she said. “We put in some people that don’t get to play as often, and it was a game to just have fun. At the same time, we’ve got to start preparing for the future. Next year, we’re losing a lot of seniors from our main rotation, so games like this help get everyone ready for what’s ahead.”
The Lady Pirates continue their downward spiral, losing 3-0 (7-25, 17-25, 16-25) to Liberty on Sept. 23, and then 3-0 to Hamshire-Fannett on Friday.
