Lady Trojan Volleyball has been hard at work all season, gearing up for the district play they are currently in the midst of. The team fell short of playoffs last year, but ask any varsity player and they’ll tell you their goal is to secure a spot later this fall. Overall, Anderson is 22-7 with a 76% win percentage. It has been a tough start to district play going 2-4, but as of Friday, they were bumped up in the standings, tied with Johnson for 5th. Ahead of Anderson are the regular playoff contenders: Dripping Springs and Lake Travis (both 6-0) followed by Westlake (5-1) and Austin High (5-2).
The next few weeks will be an opportunity to tighten up on some things before the Lady Trojans begin facing more difficult teams again. To kick off their season, they faced Akins followed by the top four schools in district rankings (DS, Westlake, Austin, LT). While they swept the Eagles in late August, the weeks since then have been challenging. However, Anderson is coming off a big 3-1 win over the Bowie Bulldogs, giving them an extra dose of confidence going into their game at Del Valle on Tuesday. It should be no problem for the Lady Trojans since Del Valle is 0-5 on the season, with just one unreported score from Friday’s game. The Cardinals have won just four games out of 22 total, and Anderson will likely make that record 4-23.
Following Del Valle, next up is Hays at home on 9/22 where Anderson is expected to hand out another sweep. The most exciting game, though, comes on 9/26 when the Lady Trojans will take on McCallum at home. The Taco Shack Bowl is of course the well-known rivalry game that is the season opener for Anderson football. Last year, Mac volleyball wanted to start their own little Taco Shack and challenged Anderson to a non-district match. The Lady Trojans finished the game 3-1 and took home the trophy after defeating the Lady Knights in their own gym. Anderson plays at home this year though, so it is important to pack the student section and bring the energy against McCallum. While the Lady Knights are first in district, they play significantly less challenging teams since they remain in 5A. If we take a step back and look at their overall record, they are 19-15 compared with Anderson’s 22-7, and with Jazmine Gaston and Parker Duncan being six rotation players, Ashlyn Axtell being a powerhouse in the middle, and Maddie Stuesser putting up accurate sets, the Lady Trojans will most likely continue that win streak against the Lady Knights for the second year.
Exciting times are happening with Anderson volleyball. Make sure to come out and support, especially against Mac, and watch for updates throughout the season!
