Livingston volleyball will finish as regional semifinalists after taking a loss from Belleville in three sets 25-14, 25-14 and 25-19 Tuesday at Montgomery High School.
The Lady Brahmas are a top 10 team in Class 4A and looked the part Tuesday.
Tied in the first set, Bellville went on a seven-point run to distance themselves at 13-6 and would slowly extend that advantage.
“They are very technically sound and I know they have a tradition of winning there,” Livingston Coach Heather Mosser said. “They represent that well. I knew we were the underdogs coming in and we just lost it a little bit. I felt like everybody thought they were outmatched. When we made errors and things like that, it was just really hard for us to bounce back.
“That coach has been around a long time and she played some mental games with us. They didn't shag for us and there was just little things that they do, and that is just not who we are. Kudos to her, she can play that game. It was a mental challenge for us to come in knowing we were underdogs and we were outmatched technically and height-wise. We really had to find some good and we just didn't have enough tonight.”
The second set would not be as close. After a 10-3 start, Bellville kept that pace, later making it 20-6. The Lady Lions fought back, but too late in the set for a chance.
That chance, however, would come in the third set. A close one until near the end, Livingston had run out of gas.
The 2024 season is a change in course for Livingston volleyball. The trajectory of the program took a sharp turn up, and has been building over the past two years. They finish with a 28-11 mark.
“No one knew us walking into this, and I think after this year we are going to turn some heads a little bit,” Mosser said. “That just shows the tremendous growth of our season. We know how to fight through some injury and we were undefeated in district minus two games to the top team. To beat everybody twice like that, that is a big deal for Livingston. We went from last place, to fifth place, to second place and making this regional semifinal round. The growth is tremendous and these players have put in the work.”
The seniors have been along for the ride from the district basement and successful in just two games on the season in 2022, to where the program now stands.
“I am so proud of the seniors who have come such a long way. Technically, this is my fourth year with them. I wasn't a head coach the first year, but I have had them for four years. To see these kids grow has been an incredible journey.
“N’Ziya Washington has bounced around a little bit. She was an outside hitter last year and she really didn't even play for us because she had a rotator cuff issue. I changed my program just for her. We did band work every day, and three or four times a day, just for her, because I didn't want to lose her to an injury. She was amazing in the middle and that kid is so talented. She's had to fight for everything she has and is an amazing kid.
“Kailey Chamblee moved around a little bit defensively. She hit for us some early in the season, but her heart is the biggest thing about her. She was my captain because she was always here for the right reasons.
“Bracee Hicks, Ytzel Davalos, Vanessa Bowers and Callie Garcia are all a great bunch of talented kids. This is a special group. Livingston is going to be a program to watch for a couple of years.”
