The Lady Lions were defeated in straight sets 25-20, 25-11, 25-22 by No. 2 seeded Stephen F. Austin to end the hopes of progressing in the Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament.
On Friday, Nov. 18, the volleyball team travelled to Conway, Arkansas, to open the tournament. The Lady Lions were slow to start off, trailing 6-1 in the first set of the match and eventually came out on the losing side despite showing character in a tight third set.
“Well, I thought we didn’t play our best game,” said Head Coach Jim Smoot. “We could have done a better job making adjustments to be more successful.”
In the match, the Lady Lions had 22 errors in total to the oppositions nine which could be a deciding factor for the loss. The team was also behind Stephen F. Austin in terms of hitting percentage as they hit at .119 in comparison to the opposition’s .293.
The coach saw some good plays in the game and was pleased with the fight shown by the team.
“In the game, we had our moments where we played well,” said Smoot. “We fought hard throughout the game. So, I am proud of that.”
The standout performances for the Lady Lions came from senior middle blocker Landry Bullock with 13 kills. Sophomore setter Haley Baker also had a good game setting up 25 assists for the team while sophomore libero Monica Ramon led the team with 14 digs for the match.
With the season coming to an end, this was the last game for four seniors on the team. Seniors outside hitters Parrie Hartley and Madi Odom along with middle blocker Rachael Bunn and Bullock played their last game at Southeastern.
This game saw Bunn and Bullock etch their names into the record books. With 911 kills in her career, Bullock is placed in ninth position in the kills category. Bunn finishes in 3rd for block assists with 271 and 312 total blocks in the record books. The coach was happy for the senior player’s accomplishments.
“That’s the thing, I am not surprised by their achievement,” said Smoot. “Both of them are outstanding players, and it’s great to see them get what they deserve.”
The team is already looking ahead to next season and recruiting players. However, the coach also acknowledged the fact that it would be tough to start the season without some key senior players.
“We have already signed several good players,” said Smoot. “We are emphasizing on power and being more physical this year. It would be difficult to replace the four senior players. All of them have been major contributors over the years.”
