Lady Lions drop match to Hawley, still secure top seed

The Albany Lady Lions fell to Hawley in three sets Saturday, losing 5-25, 16-25, 18-25. With the victory, Hawley clinched the district championship, while Albany secured the number-one seed for small schools heading into postseason play.

Despite the loss, the Lady Lions’ playoff position remains unchanged. Head coach MJ Reneau said the team is locked into first place among the small schools in their district, regardless of this weekend’s results.

Albany will host Colorado City on Saturday for their final district match, which will also serve as senior  day. The Lady Lions will honor seniors Mimi Ivy and Madi Parrott before the game.

“Saturday’s match gives us a chance to bounce back from Hawley and get a solid match in before playoffs,” Reneau said. “It’s also a special day to celebrate Mimi and Madi and everything they’ve done for our program.”

Although the matchup against Colorado City counts as a district game, it will not impact playoff seeding, as Colorado City competes in the large-school division. Roscoe will represent the district as the second seed for small schools.

The Lady Lions will face either Coleman or De Leon in the bi-district round on Oct. 30, depending on the outcome of Tuesday’s De Leon vs. Bangs match. Albany beat Coleman in the first round of last year’s playoffs and defeated them again earlier this season in tournament play, winning in three sets.

Junior varsity showing late-season progress

Albany’s junior varsity squad has also been on the rise in recent weeks. After defeating Roscoe in three sets on Saturday, the JV team fell to Hawley in two on Tuesday.

Reneau said the team’s improvement has been noticeable over the second half of district play. “They’ve shown so much growth and better chemistry on the court,” she said. “They’re starting to challenge the varsity a little more in practice, which is exactly what we want to see.”

The JV squad will wrap up its season at home at 10 a.m. Saturday against Colorado City.