Lady Lions open district with win over TLCA
The Albany Lady Lions opened district play on a strong note Tuesday night, sweeping the Abilene TLCA Lady Eagles in three sets (25-16, 25-10, 25-19). The road win marked a critical momentum shift for the varsity team following a difficult loss over Homecoming weekend to Veribest.
“I thought our transition was spot on,” said Head Coach MJ Reneau. “It’s something we’ve really been working on, and it gave us so many opportunities to attack. The girls made adjustments without hesitation, and our chemistry and confidence are right where they need to be.”
Senior Mimi Ivy and junior Hattie Braly led the way at the service line, helping Albany gain early leads in each set. Reneau credited the win to a full team effort, noting that every player contributed meaningfully throughout the match.
The victory comes after a challenging weekend match against Veribest on Saturday, which the Lady Lions dropped in straight sets. With multiple athletes juggling Homecoming activities and some still nursing minor injuries, Reneau said the team wasn’t at full strength.
“Homecoming week is tough on their bodies—between lifting, practice, cheer, painting streets—they’re worn out,” she said. “But they bounced back, and you couldn’t tell tonight that anyone was hurting.”
One of the key returns to the lineup was Zayne Lefevre, who had missed time due to injury but was back in action over the weekend and played well Tuesday night.
Next up for the Lady Lions is a Saturday road trip to Roscoe, with varsity and JV matches scheduled for 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., respectively. Reneau said the team is not taking anything for granted.
“Roscoe usually isn’t one of the top teams, and they lost their best player to graduation,” she said. “But we still have to stay focused. You can’t take anyone lightly in district.”
JV Update
Albany’s junior varsity team also split their last two outings, falling to Veribest on Saturday before claiming their first district win Tuesday against TLCA in two sets (25-9, 25-17). Reneau said the team showed noticeable growth and maturity in bouncing back.
“Saturday, we made too many errors and just weren’t focused,” she said. “But tonight, they played confident. They shook off mistakes and didn’t let things snowball. That’s huge, especially with so many freshmen on the court.”
