Lady 'Birds fly past Bay City
By KRIS BAGLEY sports@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Kris Bagley Patient For A Pass Meredith Bard (left) prepares to make a pass while Kelsey Gangl (right) prepares for the next move.

The Lady 'Birds claimed a muchneeded volleyball match Tuesday in Bay City.

Any rivalry match can be tough and especially in visiting territory. El Campo opened the match with a great 25-16 win and then fell in the next two games, 25-19 and 25-18. The Lady 'Birds finished the match with wins in the final two games, 25-16 and 15-9.

Diana Matula, head coach of the Lady 'Birds, said the match was a typical rivalry - tough to the end.

"We played well in the first game," she said. "We were kind of off, but we pulled it out. In the second and third game, it just seemed that everything we tried didn't work for us. Our passes weren't exact and then our sets weren't. We hit some balls out and they were playing good defense. It was just a big struggle."

The Lady 'Birds have put a lot of stress on fans and their coach this season. Most of the time they win, but any match could be in an easy three games or a heart-stopping five.

L-N Photo by Kris Bagley Overcoming Obstacles Kaylan Gangl tries to send a shot across the net and away from a Terry defender. Before Friday's games, El Campo was in a 3-way tie with Terry and Foster.

"That's the way it is, because I never know," Matula said. "I thought we were ready to play Bay City. The first game, we looked pretty good and then the second and third game, it was like the wheels fell off. Finally, we picked up the fourth and fifth games."

The Lady 'Birds took advantage of an early lead in the fifth game. Strong serving by Kelsey Gangl and Ashley Zboril earned 7 of the needed 15 points for a win.

With the 15-9 win, El Campo took the match 3-2.

Matula said she was glad to get the win in Bay City, but even more excited with District 24-4A's other events and what that means for her team.

Foster surprised Terry with a 3-game defeat Tuesday. That loss is just what the Lady 'Birds needed to get back into the playoff race.

Going into Friday's matches, El Campo, Terry and Foster were in a 3-way tie for second at 3-2 in district play. With Foster defeating Terry, El Campo could not have afforded a loss in Bay City. When the Lady 'Birds came through with a win, it made the victory even more sweet.

24-4A VOLLEYBALL DISTRICT STANDINGS