Needing to gel: Young Cardinals are still learning on the fly
Published 10:00 pm Thursday, September 12, 2019
- Gracie O’Byrne sends a hit towards the net against Houston in LeRoy Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
LEROY — The LeRoy-Ostrander volleyball team couldn’t overcome its lulls as it lost to Houston by scores of 25-17, 25-15, 15-25, 25-18 in LeRoy Thursday.
The Cardinals (3-7 overall, 2-4 SEC) made a move towards getting back in the match when they took a 13-11 lead after Libertee Smalley had a key kill, but the Hurricanes (4-11 overall, 2-2 SEC) scored 14 of the last 16 points in the game to take it.
Houston’s Becca Rostad served nine straight points to close it out for Houston.
![](https://www.austindailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/09/LOVB1-449x364.jpg)
Nicole Freerksken makes a play on the ball for the Cardinals against Houston in LeRoy Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“When we stop playing together, that’s when we have really slow starts,” LO head coach Lindsay Milks said. “In the third game we played as a team. Sometimes we play in tip land and once we learn to hit the ball, I think we’ll do well. Well still learning and we’ll get there.”
The Cardinals cruised in the third game as Kayden Schultz had a six-point serving run that saw her connect on three aces.
Houston took momentum early in the final game as it lead 10-6 early on.
“We have great things happening, we just need to have everything come together at one time,” Milks said.
LO stats: Samantha Volkart, 6 kills; Kayden Schultz, 3 kills, 3 ace serves; Libertee Smalley, 2 blocks; Sidney Lewison, 6 digs; Emily Hofner, 20 digs; Nicole Freersken, 11 set assists