Lady Bulldogs fall short against Lady Griffins in defeat at home
DECATUR — The mood was all positive as the Decatur Lady Bulldogs hit the volleyball court at the Decatur Middle School gym Thursday afternoon as they prepared for the first match of the 2021 season against the Ozark Catholic Academy Lady Griffins. But a strong Lady Griffin team denied Decatur a win.
For the past month, Coach Cali Lankford and her assistant, Tajhe Turner, prepared the Lady Bulldogs for this moment. With the team being much larger than in the past three years, Lankford had the chance to rotate players in and out, keeping the players fresh and at the top of their game.
Decatur took an early lead in set one. But Ozark Catholic took advantage of several simple fundamental mistakes by the young Lady Bulldog team, eventually taking the lead and capturing the first set, 25-14.
Taking full advantage of the three-minute timeout between sets, Lankford made a few changes and fixed the flaws in the Lady Bulldog game plan. And it showed as Decatur took the court and once again gained the lead.
The Lady Bulldogs continued to hold a five-point lead over the Lady Griffins until mid-set when Ozark Catholic took back the lead, 15-14. From this point, the lead exchanged hands several times on a series of long rallies by both teams. At 23 all, the Lady Griffins hit two consecutive shots past the Lady Bulldogs for a 25-23 second set win.
The Ozark Catholic Academy Lady Griffins went on to take the third set, 25-11, and the match in straight sets over the Decatur Lady Bulldogs.
The Decatur Lady Bulldogs return to action on Aug. 31 (after press time) when they square off against the Mulberry Lady Yellowjackets at Decatur Middle School gym in Decatur.