Marble Falls learns from growing pains

 

With no seniors on the squad, head coach Mich Robertson knew she would have to rely on a talented group of underclassmen to perform their best.

So during the pre-district schedule, when Marble Falls went several matches without a win, coaches and players continued to plug away.

They worked on the areas they knew they could control — serve-receive, passing, serving, setting and hitting — and performed to the best of their abilities.

The task was not easy, especially the loss to Llano Sept. 19 a week before District 25-4A play began.

But then Marble Falls won a five-setter against Waco Robinson in a match that see-sawed back and forth.

Finally, the Lady Mustangs won the deciding game, 15-13.

At the time, Robertson was thrilled with the win because it was the kind of victory she had been telling her players they needed for league play.

And she knew better than anyone the only way her squad was going to be successful was to gut out wins in five sets. 

But what Robertson could not control was the district schedule.

Marble Falls opened against the top two teams in league play, Lake Travis and Hutto. Both squads are state-ranked and have strong traditions of winning.

The Lady Mustangs were swept in three straight games in each contest.

The question that was asked privately was whether these players had what it takes to put aside the lopsided losses and not allow them to dictate the rest of the district season.

Against Killeen High School Oct. 3, it seemed like Marble Falls was still suffering the hangup from the setbacks in the first two league matches.

Down, 0-2, and having to battle officials as well as the Lady Kangaroos, Robertson emphasized a killer instinct and told her players not to get rattled.

So they promptly went out and won the last three games to win the match.

And when Marble Falls traveled to Lampasas, the Lady Mustangs jumped out to a big lead in the first set.

But they allowed the Lady Badgers to slowly climb back in the game.

Robertson recognized what was happening and called a timeout. She challenged her players to compete at a higher level. She knows they can, she said.

And most importantly, they believe they can play at that high level.

That’s why they gave up a combined 23 points in the final two games to win with the only challenge coming from the Lady Mustangs themselves. 

Even though Marble Falls did not have a winning record in non-district play, Robertson said she told her squad the only numbers that matter are in league standings.

“Nothing up to district counts,” she said. “It doesn’t matter.”

So as Marble Falls wraps up the first round of district play at Pflugerville Hendrickson, the schedule will work in the Lady Mustangs’ favor.

They will host the Lady Kangaroos, Lady Badgers and Lady Hawks while having to travel to face Lake Travis and Hutto. 

In fact the final three matches of the regular season will be played in the comfort of Max Copeland Gym against two teams Marble Falls has already beaten in league play. If the Lady Mustangs can sweep Lampasas and Killeen, Marble Falls should qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2004. 

Robertson was right. Her squad is 2-2 and tied with Hendrickson for third in district play. Friday’s match will give the winner the inside track to finishing third in the race. 

But she can’t emphasize enough how pleased she is with the way Marble Falls is playing. And her athletes are taking their coach’s words to heart.

“I’m extremely proud of my kids,” she said. “We’re taking it one point at a time, one game at a time, one match at a time.”