The program that ended Early’s volleyball season in 2024 handed the Lady Horns their first loss of 2025 in the championship game of the Heart of Texas volleyball tournament Saturday at the Brownwood Coliseum.
The Lady Horns pushed their season-opening win streak to 13 matches with a 25-16, 25-10 victory over Snyder Saturday morning to reach the championship game, where the District 8-3A rival Comanche Maidens defended their tournament title in three sets, 28-26, 19-25, 15-7.
“We got out of the game plan a little bit,” Early head coach Missy Vaughn said of the finale against Comanche, which defeated the Lady Horns in a play-in game for the fourth playoff seed from the district a year ago. “Comanche’s a great team, Coach (Krista) Wilcox has done a good job the past couple of years developing players. It was a good match, we just got out of set for a little bit.”
Against Comanche, Aubrie Devillier led Early with 10 kills followed by seven from Jensyn Rasor, and one each from Grey Pruett, Kailyn Gallardo, Cassidy Frerichs and Ellie Shea.
Pruett distributed nine assists and Frerichs added four, while Rasor and Gallardo served aces.
Defensively, Gabby Benson registered 12 digs followed by 10 from Devillier, nine each from Gallardo and Frerichs, five from Pruett, four from Shea, two from Tiffany Phelps and one by Rasor.
At the net, Rasor finished with two blocks and Pruett was credited with one.
As for playing a district opponent in the tournament final, Vaughn said, “Now we know what we have to do offensively and defensively. We tried to change up some block situations and strategies there, we’re just going to keep working and we’ll watch film offensively and defensively on who we need to stop.”
In the Lady Horns’ triumph over Snyder, Rasor’s six kills were a team-best followed by four from Devillier, three from Shea and one by Gallardo.
Pruett dished out eight assists and Frerichs tallied four, while Gallardo served the only ace.
Gallardo also recorded four digs along with two each by Benson and Pruett and one apiece from Frerichs and Rasor.
Rasor and Pruett also collected blocks for Early.
The Lady Horns (13-1) are back in action at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday as they host Cornerstone Christian, then compete in the Bronte tournament next weekend.
“We’ll keep trucking,” Vaughn said in regard to what’s next for the Lady Horns after their first setback. “We’re doing good. You have to go through these little valleys to get stronger. We’re going to keep working on the little things, like staying in our game plan and attacking the ball.”
