Photo by Nicole Flowers
September 15, 2023
Lady Bulldogs look to bounce back after heartbreaking loss to Boerne
By Brady Keane
The Bandera Prophet
After winning two matches over Somerset and East Central last week, the Bandera varsity volleyball team opened District 27-4A play on the road at Boerne Tuesday night and fell in a five-set heartbreaker.
The Lady Bulldogs, who racked up 20 wins in the non-district portion of their schedule, dropped to 20-12 overall and 0-1 in district.
“We showed incredible heart and determination on the court,” Head Coach Sananda Molina said. “It was a tough loss, no doubt about it, but let me tell you something – I couldn’t be prouder of the way our team fought through every point, every set and every challenge that came our way.”
Bandera fell in the first set 20-25, but responded well by taking the second set in an exciting 25-22 finish. The Lady Bulldogs struggled to a 14-25 loss in Set 3, but again stayed alive by taking Set 4 27-25.
After falling behind 11-4 in the decisive fifth set, Bandera stormed back within striking distance but came up just short of the comeback in a 13-15 finish.
“It’s not an easy task to come from behind to play in five sets, and that’s a testament to the grit and resilience of this squad,” Molina said. “Tough times don’t last, but tough teams do.”
Junior Jayla Blake led the offensive attack for the Lady Bulldogs against Boerne and finished with a team-high 11 kills. Kinlee Lawlis added nine kills, Bailey Word had five and Cameryn Ouellette finished with four. Ally Kline (18 assists) and Mary Freeman (16 assists) also contributed offensively, while Taytum Moeller (11 digs), Ashlyn Mott (11 digs) and Lawlis (10 digs) were the defensive leaders for Bandera.
At the sub-varsity level, the Lady Bulldogs’ JV team fell to Boerne 8-25 and 25-27 while the freshmen lost 5-25 and 8-25. T JV team is now 5-7 on the year while the freshmen fell to 1-10 this season.
Bandera will look to bounce back and get to .500 in district play at all three levels as the Lady Bulldogs host Wimberley this evening in the district home opener. The JV and freshmen will play at 5 p.m., while the varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m.
Wimberley enters the match 1-1 in district play after sweeping Fredericksburg on Sept. 8 and losing in straight sets to Davenport on Sept. 12. The Lady Texans are 21-7 overall this season.
“We are going to get back to the grind, support one another, and show the district what Bandera Bulldogs are truly made of,” Molina said.
The Lady Bulldogs, who racked up 20 wins in the non-district portion of their schedule, dropped to 20-12 overall and 0-1 in district.
“We showed incredible heart and determination on the court,” Head Coach Sananda Molina said. “It was a tough loss, no doubt about it, but let me tell you something – I couldn’t be prouder of the way our team fought through every point, every set and every challenge that came our way.”
Bandera fell in the first set 20-25, but responded well by taking the second set in an exciting 25-22 finish. The Lady Bulldogs struggled to a 14-25 loss in Set 3, but again stayed alive by taking Set 4 27-25.
After falling behind 11-4 in the decisive fifth set, Bandera stormed back within striking distance but came up just short of the comeback in a 13-15 finish.
“It’s not an easy task to come from behind to play in five sets, and that’s a testament to the grit and resilience of this squad,” Molina said. “Tough times don’t last, but tough teams do.”
Junior Jayla Blake led the offensive attack for the Lady Bulldogs against Boerne and finished with a team-high 11 kills. Kinlee Lawlis added nine kills, Bailey Word had five and Cameryn Ouellette finished with four. Ally Kline (18 assists) and Mary Freeman (16 assists) also contributed offensively, while Taytum Moeller (11 digs), Ashlyn Mott (11 digs) and Lawlis (10 digs) were the defensive leaders for Bandera.
At the sub-varsity level, the Lady Bulldogs’ JV team fell to Boerne 8-25 and 25-27 while the freshmen lost 5-25 and 8-25. T JV team is now 5-7 on the year while the freshmen fell to 1-10 this season.
Bandera will look to bounce back and get to .500 in district play at all three levels as the Lady Bulldogs host Wimberley this evening in the district home opener. The JV and freshmen will play at 5 p.m., while the varsity is set to begin at 6 p.m.
Wimberley enters the match 1-1 in district play after sweeping Fredericksburg on Sept. 8 and losing in straight sets to Davenport on Sept. 12. The Lady Texans are 21-7 overall this season.
“We are going to get back to the grind, support one another, and show the district what Bandera Bulldogs are truly made of,” Molina said.