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The Columbus Lady Cardinals are off to a hot start this season, winning 12 of their first 13 matches.
The Lady Cards picked up their 12th win against Marion during the Schulenburg Varsity Volleyball Tournament Thursday, Aug. 20, sweeping the match 25-13, 25-7.
The dominant second-set victory came with a roller coaster of emotions — and nearly a cookie cake.
Columbus thought it had closed out the set 25-5, setting off a celebration before officials ruled the Lady Cards had tipped the ball and awarded the point to Marion. The call meant Columbus had to keep playing and, perhaps more importantly to the players, put a team reward in jeopardy.
“We have a challenge for our girls that if they hold a team under five points, they get a cookie cake,” Lady Cards Head Coach Kayley Johns said with a laugh. “So, when they thought we had won, they were super excited for cookie cake, but the point was called back, and we had to keep playing.”
The Lady Cards quickly refocused and closed out the set 25-7. Cookie cake or not, Johns said she was proud of how her team responded.
“That’s something we have emphasized throughout the offseason and early on in the season is to move on from points quickly,” Johns said. “If they score or we score, it does not matter. We move on to the next point and keep playing.”
That mentality has helped Columbus compile a 12-1 record through its first 13 matches. Johns said the early success has not surprised her, as players have bought into the team’s approach and continued improving in their individual roles.
She has also seen the team’s chemistry grow both on and off the court.
“I told them our goal today was to build team chemistry on the court and to grow in every single game, and I definitely think we did that,” Johns said. “We had hitters step up in big moments, our passers did a really great job today and our blockers have progressively been getting better each game. It’s really exciting to have a great group of girls that want the best for each other.”
The Lady Cards will return to action Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Needville Varsity Volleyball Tournament.
