Princeton senior Sam Phillips looks at the ball as she makes a pass during an Aug. 11 home match against Frisco Panther Creek. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media
By David Wolman
A young Princeton volleyball team is gaining experience on the fly.
That inexperience was tested during Princeton’s Aug. 11 season opener, but the Lady Panthers overcame it with a relentless defense and timely offense to top Denison in straight sets, 25-17, 25-14. Princeton battled against Frisco Panther Creek in a hard-fought match earlier in the day, but came up just short in a 25-23, 23-25, 25-18 loss.
“It was a good start,” said head coach Yolanda Beasley. “We’re young and they’re hungry. We even played well against Panther Creek. To finish the night after losing that match was good for us.”
One of the team’s most experienced players, senior middle hitter Tito Abiba, helped Princeton through its match against Denison.
In the first set, Abiba lowered the boom for a kill for a 17-10 Lady Panthers lead. But she wasn’t the only Princeton player that stepped up. The Lady Panthers received contributions from several players throughout.
Senior Mariela De Alba, who is listed as a defensive specialist, contributed on offense a few minutes later, recording a tip kill on set point to give Princeton a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five match.
The second set was a nip-and-tuck affair, especially in the early-going.
Junior Carlee Dutler hit the ball off the hands of a Denison defender for a 7-5 lead. A strong effort behind the service line helped Princeton to maintain its lead. Senior Samantha Phillips notched back-to-back aces for an 11-8 lead. Later in the set, a booming kill by Abiba started an 18-9 Lady Panthers run to end the match.
“This was much better than our scrimmages,” Beasley said. “We looked raw but had a lot of potential. We’re growing each time that we step on the court.”
Those two home matches served as the build-up for last weekend’s Garland ISD Tournament.
Princeton lost all three matches in pool play on Thursday despite winning the first set during its first two matches against Frisco Heritage (21-25, 25-18, 25-13) and Naaman Forest (24-26, 25-16, 25-18). The Lady Panthers concluded the day with a 2-0 loss to El Paso Socorro (25-21, 25-15).
Against Naaman Forest, Princeton had two points overturned late in the first set because of a net violation and a hitting error, but a subsequent net violation committed by the Lady Rangers gave the Lady Panthers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three match.
In the second set, Princeton gained an early 5-4 lead, but Naaman Forest finished on a 21-9 run.
In the third set, sophomore Alexis Osaghe attempted to help Princeton mount a comeback. A kill by Osaghe reduced what had been a six-point lead for the Lady Rangers to 17-14. But despite a number of gritty plays made on defense by Princeton, Naaman Forest finished on an 8-4 run to clinch the three-set victory.
On the second day, Princeton went 2-1, defeating El Paso Hanks in two sets, lost in two sets to Garland and outlasted North Garland in three sets.
On the final day, Princeton lost in straight sets to Lebanon Trail but bounced back with an impressive two-set victory over The Colony.
The competition will be fierce at this weekend’s Allen Texas Open Varsity Tournament, but the Lady Panthers are up for the challenge.
“We have to schedule those types of tournaments,” Beasley said. “We have to work through some things early and then get ready for district play.”
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