Lady Vikes claim third position in district ranking; look to improve in second half of season play

With a win over Bowie’s Lady Vols on Senior Night, the Lady Vikes volleyball continue to surprise everyone with their performances. The girls are currently ranked third in district 4-6A behind Martin and Arlington.

“Our goal was to go 6 and 2 for the first half of district and we’ve already lost 2, so the girls have all agreed that that will be the only losses,” Varsity Coach Heather Woodman said. “This is a very determined and focus team. They have high expectations for the season.”

District play opened against Martin on Aug. 30. With wins against Sam Houston, Trimble Tech, Bowie and Paschal, the Lady Vikes prepare to face North Crowley on Friday.

“We’ve been working on new rotations and practicing different methods,” senior libero Tara Walls said. “Our goal against Crowley is to win 25-0 and improve our technique.”

The team’s bond makes an impact on the court because of the family feel the girls have towards one another. After each play they encourage and push each other to keep doing good, even when faced with a challenging team.

“Our team bond is unbreakable,”  senior setter Paige Harbin said. “When one of us is down, the others will always be there to pick them up. We spend at least six out of seven days, three hours or more at a time with each other during the week.”

With Coach Woodmans’ intensive practices, the girls stay in the best shape during season.

“Our intensity in practice has definitely helped us increase our ability to play for up to five sets,” senior outside and captain Kennedy Stanford said. “We’ve adjusted our gameday practice a bit. I think that has helped us because we are more prepared to perform come game time.”