Lady Lions building momentum before district

The Albany Lady Lions hosted Class 4A Snyder on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and despite falling in four sets, head coach MJ Reneau said the match offered valuable experience for her team as they prepare for district play.

“I’m taking nothing but positivity away from tonight,” Reneau said. “Snyder challenged us in areas we haven’t been challenged yet—fast middle hits, tough serves. We were missing one of our starters due to illness, and some of our JV girls stepped up and did a tremendous job.”

Snyder won the match by scores of 25-22, 13-25, 25-17, and 25-19. Reneau credited the team’s middles and setters for their ability to adjust under pressure and keep Albany competitive throughout the match.

“I thought our middles did a great job of turning tough balls into attacks, and our setters gave us chances on balls that weren’t easy,” she said. “We battled with them, and this did nothing but prepare us for district and playoffs.”

The team’s chemistry was also on full display, with Reneau emphasizing how the players support one another on the court.

“They really care about each other and protect each other out there,” she said. “That’s what’s making us competitive right now.”

The week prior, Albany traveled for a dual match on Tuesday, Sept. 2, where they swept both Benjamin and Seymour.

“Our serving was great—we had several aces and kept both teams on their heels,” Reneau said. “It was good to be in control and build up endurance, especially since we didn’t have a Saturday game.”

The Lady Lions will be back on their home court this Saturday to face Newcastle, a ranked team in Class 1A.

“Newcastle is good this year. I’m hoping we can take what we learned from playing Snyder and use it this weekend,” Reneau said. “We’re building toward district, which starts in two weeks.”