Photo by Nicole Flowers
August 13, 2023
Bandera volleyball battles top competition, moves to 6-5
By Brady Keane
The Bandera Prophet
After starting the year 3-0 with wins over Somerset, Veterans Memorial and Hondo, the Bandera volleyball team entered the Westwood Showcase Tournament in Round Rock as one of few Class 4A teams competing against a majority of Class 5A and 6A competition.
Emerging with a 3-5 record and a third-place finish in the consolation portion of the Bronze Bracket gave the Lady Bulldogs even more confidence about where they stand early in the season.
“This tournament did exactly what we wanted it to,” Head Coach Sananda Molina said. “It shows the growth that we have had as a program to compete with these top 5A and 6A teams. We will look to continue with this level of play as we prepare for district competition against some of the toughest 4A teams in the state.”
Bandera opened the tournament with losses to 6A Cedar Ridge, 6A Buda Johnson and 6A Waller on Thursday. Molina pointed to junior Kinlee Lawlis and sophomore Hannah Wells as offensive standouts on Thursday, while senior Ashlyn Mott led the way defensively with a number of timely digs and saves. Senior Izabel Kennedy and freshman Sydney Moore also stood out with their defensive play at the net.
The Lady Bulldogs took the tough first day in stride and bounced back Friday with wins over over 6A Manor (25-21, 23-25, 25-19), 5A Pflugerville (25-20, 25-23) and 6A Westwood’s second varsity team (23-25, 25-22, 25-8). Molina said the team’s resilience and tenacity were on display throughout the day and expressed pride in the quick turnaround from Day 1 to Day 2.
Senior Abby Prater helped pace the Bandera offense with well-placed sets while junior Jayla Blake had a big day on the offensive end with a number of pivotal hits. Molina also pointed to sophomore Mary Freeman’s all-around play, sophomores Taytum Moeller and Ally Kline’s serving, and junior Kinlee Lawlis’ tenacious defense as keys to victory throughout the day.
The Lady Bulldogs finished up with a pair of losses to 6A Clear Falls (16-25, 13-25) and 6A Clear Lake (23-25, 27-29) on Saturday, capping a busy week that featured a total of 11 matches.
“It was definitely a challenging weekend, but the team really gelled together to overcome some challenging opponents,” Freeman said. “We really figured out how to interact with each other on and off the court, including how to listen to one another and understand each other’s tendencies.”
Now sitting at 6-5 on the season, the Lady Bulldogs will be off early this week before competing in the Floresville Tournament Aug. 18-19. The JV and Freshmen Lady Bulldogs are off until an Aug. 22 home game against Jourdanton.
“It was a joy to see a full team of girls come together to power through the toughest competition in Texas,” Molina said. “It’s not just the toughest in 4A. It’s the toughest period. We hung with the absolute best in Texas so 4A better watch out because we are on a war path.”
In the meantime, the Bandera volleyball program is excited to host its highly anticipated Alumni Volleyball game on Tuesday, Aug. 15. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
“We are super excited to see all of our wonderful alumni this Tuesday,” Molina said.
Emerging with a 3-5 record and a third-place finish in the consolation portion of the Bronze Bracket gave the Lady Bulldogs even more confidence about where they stand early in the season.
“This tournament did exactly what we wanted it to,” Head Coach Sananda Molina said. “It shows the growth that we have had as a program to compete with these top 5A and 6A teams. We will look to continue with this level of play as we prepare for district competition against some of the toughest 4A teams in the state.”
Bandera opened the tournament with losses to 6A Cedar Ridge, 6A Buda Johnson and 6A Waller on Thursday. Molina pointed to junior Kinlee Lawlis and sophomore Hannah Wells as offensive standouts on Thursday, while senior Ashlyn Mott led the way defensively with a number of timely digs and saves. Senior Izabel Kennedy and freshman Sydney Moore also stood out with their defensive play at the net.
The Lady Bulldogs took the tough first day in stride and bounced back Friday with wins over over 6A Manor (25-21, 23-25, 25-19), 5A Pflugerville (25-20, 25-23) and 6A Westwood’s second varsity team (23-25, 25-22, 25-8). Molina said the team’s resilience and tenacity were on display throughout the day and expressed pride in the quick turnaround from Day 1 to Day 2.
Senior Abby Prater helped pace the Bandera offense with well-placed sets while junior Jayla Blake had a big day on the offensive end with a number of pivotal hits. Molina also pointed to sophomore Mary Freeman’s all-around play, sophomores Taytum Moeller and Ally Kline’s serving, and junior Kinlee Lawlis’ tenacious defense as keys to victory throughout the day.
The Lady Bulldogs finished up with a pair of losses to 6A Clear Falls (16-25, 13-25) and 6A Clear Lake (23-25, 27-29) on Saturday, capping a busy week that featured a total of 11 matches.
“It was definitely a challenging weekend, but the team really gelled together to overcome some challenging opponents,” Freeman said. “We really figured out how to interact with each other on and off the court, including how to listen to one another and understand each other’s tendencies.”
Now sitting at 6-5 on the season, the Lady Bulldogs will be off early this week before competing in the Floresville Tournament Aug. 18-19. The JV and Freshmen Lady Bulldogs are off until an Aug. 22 home game against Jourdanton.
“It was a joy to see a full team of girls come together to power through the toughest competition in Texas,” Molina said. “It’s not just the toughest in 4A. It’s the toughest period. We hung with the absolute best in Texas so 4A better watch out because we are on a war path.”
In the meantime, the Bandera volleyball program is excited to host its highly anticipated Alumni Volleyball game on Tuesday, Aug. 15. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
“We are super excited to see all of our wonderful alumni this Tuesday,” Molina said.