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Lady 'Birds' playoff push ends in semis
The Lady 'Birds finished fourth in District 23-4A with a 2-6 record and burst into the post-season playing like a team destined for a turnaround. Wins over Santa Fe, Houston Reagan and Manvel sent El Campo to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1983 when the team qualified for the state tournament. Brenham was able to defeat El Campo with scores of 25-10, 25-21 and 25-19 and eliminate the Lady 'Birds from playoff contention, but the loss could not erase a season that pushed El Campo into elite status. At the end of Friday's match, Head Coach Diana Matula talked with her team about their great year. "We all sat in the locker room and talked about 10 to 15 minutes after the match," she said. "I told the kids how well they did and that they don't have to be ashamed of losing. I thought they played extremely well and had a great season. "They are one of the 16 best teams in the state and also the only fourthplace team to make it to the regional tournament. You can't fault them for any of that." The Lady 'Birds were also the longestsurviving team from District 23-4A. "It was a good year," Matula said. "In the beginning, we peaked early and when district started, we had a little lull. By the end of district, we picked it up and got ready for what counts - the playoffs." Somewhere between a loss at Lamar Consolidated and a first-round match with Santa Fe, the Lady 'Birds began to believe what their coaches had been saying all season long. "When we got in the playoffs, I think their confidence rose," Matula said. "We kept telling them all year, 'You can do this.' They just didn't believe us and we had some problems that got in our way. I think the biggest difference was having confidence when we got in the playoffs. It really made them a special team after they realized, 'Yes we can. We're good. We can do this.' They started believing in themselves." El Campo was led by eight seniors this season, leaving only five spots for underclassmen. Matula credited the senior leadership with El Campo's sudden change. "This was a great bunch of seniors," she said. "I really enjoyed this group. Senior classes are always special, but this will be one of the special ones that I'll always remember what they did. "I always talk about the 1983 team. They say, 'Now you're going to be talking about the seniors in 2008.' I said, 'That's right. When you come back in 20 years, I'll be talking about y'all.' It was a fun bunch and I really enjoyed them." Though El Campo will miss its seniors, playoff experience for the returning players may prove invaluable - even for those who did not see action in the post-season. "We have five returning lettermen," Matula said. "A lot of those kids didn't get to play, but they were there to see what happens. I think they've learned a lot. We have some good kids coming off of JV and a good freshman bunch too. I think we'll have a good pool for the varsity next year." Preparation for 2009 and another run at the playoffs has already begun. "We're going to work hard in the off-season," Matula said. "We started already and we're going to start building for next year. We'll do a lot of running, lifting weights and a lot of conditioning. We're going to try to get stronger and jump higher. "I think they saw how hard this bunch worked. We did a lot of conditioning and we're going to continue. Some of the kids are going to play club and that's going to help too." One thing in question is Matula's coaching future. El Campo's appearance in the regional tournament may be a great opportunity for the coach to retire on top. Then again, there is always the promise of another year and new opportunity for success.
"I've been thinking about it - whether you want to go another year after success or end it on a high note," Matula said. "By the end of spring, I'll decide."
EC Kills Ashley Brooks 7, Ebonee Spencer 6, Meredith Bard 5, Kendra Legler 3 EC Digs Brooks 10, Bard 7, Legler 6, Lindsey Marik 6, Tracy Gerla 4, Shelby Cooper 3, CeCe Coleman 1 EC Points Spencer 9, Bard 8, Brooks 8, Legler 4, Marik 3 (2 Aces) Coleman 1 |
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