By FREDDY GONZALEZ
Valley Morning Star
LYFORD — The Lyford Lady Bulldogs took care of business Tuesday night as they convincingly beat Progreso in three straight sets 25-11, 25-18, and 25-17.
“We played well tonight,” said second-year head coach Jennifer Soto. “We got all the girls in the (game) today. They (girls) have been playing better, at the beginning (of season)they started a little rough but now they are starting to play more like a team.”
In their first home game of the season, the Lady Bulldogs (9-6 overall) began the match on fire, but the Red Ants were able to find their way back into the game and equalized the score. With the tally even at six, Lyford went on a 15-4 run behind strong serves from Miranda Ramirez and Rebekah Perez to end the first game 25-11.
However, in Game 2 the Lady Red Ants were able to get off to a strong 9-4 start as they showed signs of life, which prompted Soto to call a timeout. Unfortunately for Progreso, the Lady Bulldogs had other plans and were able to come from behind to tie the match 17-17.
After tying the score, Lyford outscored the Red Ants 8-1 to take the game 25-18.
“During the timeout I told them they needed to forget what was going on and start over,” said Soto. “I told them they need to work hard to make up for the errors they made and be more consistent in keeping their serves and hits.
“I also stressed that (we needed) communication and mental toughness (on the court), which is something we are working hard to improve.”
On the night, Miranda Martinez had 21 assists, six aces and four digs. Miranda Ramirez had nine kills, seven digs and two aces, while Victoria Vela had six kills and three aces.
The third game was much like the second as the lead went back and fourth before the Lady Bulldogs were able to close out the game.
“We didn’t know what to expect from Progreso because they have a good coach,” said Soto. “I know this is her first year as their varsity coach so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they did improve from last year.”