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The Dupo Jr High Lady Tigers Volleyball team hosted the Lady Saints of St Libory Thursday evening in girls Jr High volleyball action. While the inexperienced Lady Tigers came up short losing in two games 21-12 and 21-10 it was not without a valiant effort as the Lady Tigers were missing two of their starters. Dupo Jr High Lady Tigers volleyball coach Andrea Schaefer said, “I don’t think the scores really reflect how our girls played tonight.”
The Jr Lady Tigers were not overmatched physically, with plenty of good athletes currently in the program, however one could not help but notice the difference in experience. The Lady Saints of St Libory had the edge in experience and it showed. But the Lady Tigers were competitive and it may not be long before we see the results.
The Jr Lady Tigers trailed the entire first game. They had their moments but the Lady Saints of St Libory were well in control as they won 21-12. Coach Schaefer said, “Knowing that we were down two starters, some of the girls got down before the game had even started. That coupled with the fact that St Libory is undefeated can be a little intimidating for a team like ours.”
In the second game the Lady Tigers kept it close early. But the Lady Saints’ experience proved valuable to them as they took control and worked their way to win the second game 21-10. Coach Schaefer said, “We had some really good volleys tonight despite the fact that we were without two of our starters. We had to substitute in some sixth graders that normally wouldn’t get to play at the ‘A’ level and that was good for them. St Libory is an excellent team and we hung with them for a little while.”
In both games the Jr Lady Tigers showed promise. The Jr Lady Tigers were able to string points together behind strong serving and showed some promise displaying athleticism and court savvy. In fact, the Jr Lady Tigers have a number of athletically gifted students who may one day contribute at the varsity level. But right now there are a number of holes in the young team’s game that need addressed. Coach Schaefer said, “I’ve seen improvement from the ‘A’ team this year from day one. I feel that this team has made some great strides since the beginning of the season. They’re talking on the floor, moving their feet, we returned some tough serves tonight and we were getting block attempts.”
The Jr Lady Tigers volleyball season continues as they host the Lady Panthers of Millstadt on Wednesday, March 3rd at Bluffview Elementary School. Play begins at 4:00 p.m. with the ‘C’ squad game followed by the ‘B’ squad game and then the ‘A’ squad game. Come out and support your team!
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