LHS ladies in playoffs Saturday
By KRIS BAGLEY sports@leader-news.com

Louise is eagerly awaiting its first volleyball playoff match after a perfect run in district. The Lady Hornets finished 10-0 to claim the district title and a first-round bye.

The Lady Hornets will face the winner of Tuesday night's match between Thrall and Dime Box at 7 p.m. Saturday in Schulenburg.

The Lady Hornets took the first step toward a Class A playoff win Saturday when they hosted Danbury in a warmup game.

Louise took the court with intensity and finished with a 3-0 win with scores of 25-19, 25-17 and 26-24.

"We're feeling pretty good," Head Coach Bryan Branch said. "We really passed well. I was a little concerned with our hitters not hitting the ball as hard as they could. Once you get into the playoffs, you've got to hit it a little harder. I thought Sarah Williamson did a good job of hitting the ball hard and Amber Bain did a good job. I thought we passed the ball very well out of serve receive and Kirsten Machicek set the ball well."

The Lady Hornets' passing game has consistently improved since the start of the season. What began as a major weakness is now a strength, thanks to the speed of some of the girls on the back row.

"One thing always leads to another and, like I've always said, it starts with the pass," Branch said. "If we don't get a good pass, we're not going to get a good serve and we're not going to get a good hit. I was pleased with our passing.

"Our hustle and effort was there. We did not take them lightly and play like a practice game. We were very serious about it and that was a good sign. We were hustling after balls and Lauren Gresham saved us a couple of times on the back row."

Even though the scores may make the match seem like an easy one, Branch said that is not the case. Especially in the final game when Danbury pushed the Lady Hornets into extra points, Louise was challenged on the court. Coming away with a 3-0 win against a Class 2-A opponent should help the Lady Hornets prepare for tough teams in the playoffs.

"Danbury hit the ball at us a little more than some other teams have in our district," Branch said. "We got to dig them up. We had to adjust a little bit and that is what we wanted out of that match.

"I was pleased with our effort. I thought we looked good. We played well and won and that's what I wanted. I didn't want to play bad and win."

The Lady Hornets' mental approach to Saturday's warmup game might show a glimpse of what is to come when the playoffs officially begin for Louise.

"I think we're in a good spot," Branch said. "We're playing well and we're confident. I don't think we're over-confident. It's going to interesting because these girls have never been in the playoffs before. It's going to be different for them to see how they react and how they handle it.

"They're all anxious to see who they're going to play. I keep telling the girls, 'It doesn't matter what the other team does. It's about us being ourselves and us playing the way we can.' Whatever happens, happens. Everything for us at this point is bonus."