LHS Ladies prepare for playoff run
By KRIS BAGLEY sports@leader-news.com

28-A VOLLEYBALL DISTRICT STANDINGS

Before the school year started, Bryan Branch made a list of goals for his first year as Louise's varsity volleyball coach.

Now that the regular season is over, the coach sees two major accomplishments and even more goals for the post-season.

Branch wanted his team to make the playoffs and be the top team in District 28-A. The Lady Hornets answered by winning all 10 district matches and now they are seeing the benefit of their hard work.

Louise, claiming the district title, received a bye for the first week of playoffs. They have extra time to practice for their Nov. 3 post-season debut in Schulenburg at 7 p.m. They will face the winner of a first-round match between Thrall and Dime Box.

To prepare for

their opponent, their opponent,

Louise is hosting Louise is hosting

Danbury today at Danbury today at

5 p.m. The Lady 5 p.m. The Lady

Hornets traveled Hornets traveled

to Danbury earlier to Danbury earlier

this year to this year to

take on the class take on the class

2-A program and 2-A program and

won in three won in three

games.

Head Coach

Head Coach

Bryan Branch Bryan Branch

said Danbury said Danbury

is an improved is an improved team since their last match and expects team since their last match and expects

Saturday's warm-up game will be good preparation for the post-season.

"It's been a long time and everyone is better than they were two months ago," Branch said. "I think it will be a good test for us. It's a 2-A school and it will be a good test for us to play someone who's going to hit the ball at us. I think it will be very similar to what we'll see in the first round."

Louise will take on the winner of Tuesday's match between Dime Box and Thrall in the second round. With a first-round bye, the Lady Hornets will be off for 11 straight days without playing an official match.

Facing Danbury again should give the Lady Hornets better experience then playing each other in practice until their playoff opponent is determined.

"The thing about having a bye is that it's such a long time between your last district game and your first playoff game. We're not going to play next week because I'm going to go watch the Thrall-Dime Box game and do some scouting. We really need to play that game to keep our game shape and keep from just having to practice without a game."

Some coaches want their team to take a winning streak into the post-season. Others find comfort in the intensity that usually follows a loss before playing an elimination match.

Branch said the only thing he cares to see in the warm-up game with Danbury is good play. If his team competes, the coach will be satisfied with a win or a loss.

"I don't have a preference - I just want us to play well," Branch said. "If we played well and we lost, I could take that. If we play well and win, that's fine as long as we're playing well. We just can't go out there and lay a big fat egg and just show up and go through the motions. That's what I don't want to see. We've got to be intense about what we're doing here and be real serious. They've been like that all year and I don't think that's an issue. I just want to see us play well. I don't care if we win or lose."

Louise could use a good outing. After defeating Pettus Tuesday 3-1 with scores of 25-20, 21- 25, 25-21 and 25-10, Branch said he did not feel like his team was playing its best ball. The Lady Hornets had clinched a playoff spot and even the district title a few matches earlier. Whether it is a lack of motivation or fatigue after a long season, Branch said his team can play better and likely will now that they're facing a bit of pressure.

"I think we're in a little bit of a slump, to be honest," Branch said. "It just seems like we're a step slow. Reaction time is more of an issue. I told them a while ago, our attention span seems to be the problem. They've got to just realize that they've got to stay awake the whole time.

"It's a combination of things. It's been a long season, they're tired and they've had (playoffs) wrapped up. It's not that we've looked bad, I just think we can look better by being more alert."

Branch said he wants his team to get better in a few key areas for the Danbury match.

"I just want to see us continue to improve and get a little more consistent about what we're doing," he said. "A little more consistent in our passing, a little bit better job on our setting - Kirsten (Machicek) has been struggling a little bit lately. I want to see us hit the ball a little harder and just get better than we were a couple of weeks ago. Of course, our serving, we've still got to serve better. That's all we're really trying to do, just keep in focus."