Volleyball: Welcome
Friday, September 29
Check out the latest photos here!!!
Monday, August 24
Click the link below for Volleyball Photos!
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Wednesday, December 16
Lady Dawg Volleyball Banquet Thursday, January 14, 2010at 6:30 pm Copperas Cove Civic Center Tickets: $12 pre sale$15 at the door Pre sale tickets will be sold at the volleyball office in the new gym at the high school from 12/8/2009-1/8/2010. All guests, family, and friends are invited to come celebrate the 2009 volleyball season.
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Killeen Daily Herald's All-Area Volleyball Team
Copperas Cove Ladydawgs
Amber Moore
School: Copperas Cove
Class: Senior
2009: Frustrating opposing hitters is what the senior did best, as Moore broke the program record for digs and ended the season with 561. She earned all-district, first-team honors, finishing the year with 66 blocks, 32 ace and 230 kills.
Amy Rosenbaum
School: Copperas Cove
Class: Sophomore
2009: District 12-5A's most valuable setter finished with 737 assists, helping lead Cove to a second place finish. Rosenbaum had 184 digs and 46 blocks but also did her part offensively when not setting up teammates as she put down 112 kills.
Phyllicia Cross
School: Copperas Cove
Class: Junior
2009: Cross' all-around game earned her District 12-5A first-team honors, as she finished the year with 435 digs, 296 kills and 33 blocks. The junior also set a new school record with 81 aces.
Tuesday, November 17
District 12-5A All-District Selections
Coach of the Year Susie Hughlett, Temple
Co-Most Valuable Player
Shelby Dickson,AMC Grace Weaver, Belton
Most Valuable Hitter Tiffany Regmund, Bryan
Most Valuable Setter Amy Rosenbaum, Copperas Cove
Newcomer of the Year Loryn Goodwin, Temple
Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Mann, Temple
1st Team All District (9)
Erika Arthur, AMC, Karla Gilbert, AMC, Kelsey Kinley, AMC, Chelsea Lomprey, Belton, Stephanie Striker, Belton, Kaylee Piatt, Bryan, Amber Moore, Copperas Cove, Phyllicia Cross, Copperas Cove, Kaitlyn Muniz,Temple
2nd Team All District (8)
Bailey Gillum, AMC, Ashton Holliday, AMC, Julia Westerbur, AMC, Reagan Boenker, Bryan, Kelly Kearns, Copperas Cove, Desiree Wiley, Killeen Ellison, Bianca Patterson, Harker Heights, Emily Vasek, Temple
Honorable Mention
Megan Caruso, AMC, Karrian Chambers, AMC, Brooke Malcik, Belton, Brooke Keilla, Belton, Crumpton, Bryan, Brittney Jones, Bryan, Taylor Boenker, Bryan, Michelle Blount, Copperas Cove, Kenya Williams, Copperas Cove, Alex Chase, Copperas Cove, Jessica Williams, Copperas Cove, Amanda Cruddas, Ellison, Tiffany Miles, Ellison, Daniela Torres, Ellison, Darcy Parks, Harker Heights, Taylor Denney, Harker Heights, Jahyda Reed, Shoemaker, Ashley McCune, Shoemaker, Ebonie Davis, Shoemaker, Faith Thompson, Temple
Tuesday, November 17
12-5A All-District Volleyball: Belton's Weaver shares MVP honor Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 17 2009 05:10 AM By Alex Byington
Killeen Daily Herald
A week after getting swept out of the playoffs by Sachse, Belton junior Grace Weaver was honored for her ability to shred opposing district foes with her powerful spikes.
So much so she was selected as District 12-5A co-most valuable player along with Shelby Dickson from district-power A&M Consolidated when postseason awards were released Monday.
While continuing their dominance over the rest of the district, notching their 41st consecutive district victory this season, A&M Consolidated also compiled the most all-district players, with seven representatives including Erika Arthur, Karla Gilbert and Kelsey Kinley on the first team.
Second place Copperas Cove also finished with the second-most all-district selections, led by most valuable sitter Amy Rosenbaum and first-teamers Amber Moore and Phyllicia Cross.
Despite missing out on the playoffs after losing to Bryan in a play-in game, Temple had three representatives among the district's top selections including Loryn Goodwin (Newcomer of the Year), Lauren Mann (Defensive Player of the Year) and coach Susie Hughlett (Coach of the Year).
Along with Weaver, Belton was represented by first-team selections Chelsea Lomprey and Stephanie Striker.
Earning second-team honors were Desiree Wylie of Ellison, Bianca Patterson of Harker Heights, and Kelly Kearns of Copperas Cove.
Thursday, November 12
All,
The CCHS Volleyball Banquet will be held on Jan 14 at the CC Civic Center. Please pass to Jr High, JV and Freshman parents.
Tickets can be purchased from the CCHS Volleyball coaches. Players are usually free. Anyone is invited that purchases a ticket.
The coaches are taking care of all the arrangements except for decorations.
We will need as many parents as possible to help put up decorations and take them down.
Tradition has been senior parents help put the decorations up but will not stay afterwards to take them down.
I need nominations for the 2010-2011 Booster Club Officers so please send those as soon as possible.
Positions are: President, Vice (Memberships) President, Secretary (Concessions), Treasurer. All other positions are not voted on.
Incoming freshman parents (SC Lee and CCJH) are invited to run for any position so please forward if you know who they are.
The civic center normally will not let us decorate until the day of the banquet so anyone helping might want to take that afternoon off work.
More later...
Thank you for all your support over the years.
Kathy Kearns
Wednesday, November 4
Playoffs are Here!!!!!
Volleyball Playoffs: Lady Dawgs beat Horn in 4 Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 4 2009 04:59 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
WACO – Following a back-and-forth, five-game thriller in which District 12-5A rival Belton beat DeSoto, Copperas Cove made it 2-for-2 for 12-5A at Waco High on Tuesday.
The Lady Bulldawgs, facing the same Mesquite Horn team they swept a year ago, won the Class 5A Region II bi-district playoff in four games (25-17, 22-25, 29-27, 25-18).
"It's playoffs and that's how playoffs go initially," Cove coach Cari Lowery said.
Making its third trip to the area round in four years, Cove (32-8) will face Richardson Lake Highlands (29-12), which knocked off Garland Naaman Forest in the opening round. The two will meet in the area round either Friday or Saturday at a time and location to be determined. Lowery said the Dawgs have Waco High reserved but may not play there.
The match didn't start with the back-the-forth flow that took over in the final two games. Cove dominated the opening game, while Mesquite Horn answered, pulling away late in Game 2.
"First game, Horn played panicked and they couldn't do anything right," Lowery said. "Then in Game 2, Horn came out and scored a few points on us and got on fire and we kind of panicked. That's just how playoffs are – first-round playoffs.
"It's just everybody is nervous. Several of mine have never been in a playoff game before, so it's just different."
Once they got going, the Lady Dawgs jumped all over Mesquite Horn, scoring the match's opening six points and leading 21-12 before the Lady Jags rallied for three straight points.
Mesquite Horn (14-20-1) used a four-point run to break a 17-17 tie in the second game, pulling away from Cove. The Lady Dawgs got to within 22-21 on back-to-back blocks from Amber Moore and Michelle Blount on Mesquite Horn's Tabitha Hutson, but the Lady Jags went back to the junior and she scored their final two points to even the match.
"Game 2, we looked terrified to me," Lowery said. "Our faces were just scared and panicked. I think the kids just think that we're working so hard in practice so we're just going to go in the there and thump everybody right off the bat.
"It's never like that. Whatever you see in scouting reports is never the same as how it's going to be because everybody steps up to play."
Said senior Amber Moore: "We just really had to remember if we lose, we'd be out. Game 2 we really didn't play up to what we could."
Cove adjusted on both offense and defense in the final two games. Offensively, the Lady Dawgs allowed themselves to set up their hitters and not simply get the ball back across the net. On the other side, Cove found an answer for Hutson, though it took well into the fourth game before Mesquite Horn started looking elsewhere for its points.
Tied at 14-14 in Game 3, Hutson scored four consecutive Lady Jag points and nearly had a fifth but the kill went long. Cove closed the gap and the two went back, playing through six ties before back-to-back kills from Phyllicia Cross and Kelly Kearns won the game.
Mesquite Horn stayed in front of Cove for most of the finale, but the Lady Dawgs took the lead at 18-17. The Lady Jags tied the game, but three straight Cove points, including one on a Mesquite Horn error forced Lady Jag coach Morgan Reed to call a timeout.
Mesquite never recovered.
"It was like our whole side of the gym lifted up," Lowery said. "You could feel the intensity level our side pick up and Horn didn't have an answer."
Two more kills forced a second timeout, and back-to-back Lady Jag hitting errors ended the match.
"We started getting pumped on the court and cheering louder," Moore said. "The crowd really helps out, but we have to do it ourselves, too."
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Monday, November 2
Cove Juniors Tryouts
15's-18's (9th-12th grade)
November 22, 2009
2-4 pm
CCHS gym 2 (old gym)
12's-14's
December 6, 2009
2-4 pm
CCHS gym 2 (old gym)
What to bring to tryouts:
$45 tryout fee
birth certificate
court shoes
long white socks
kneepads
spandex
t-shirt
watter bottle
Additional items completed prior to tryouts (also needed at tryouts):
USAV registration (on-line) print confirmed registration copy (unpaid status)
medical waiver sheet, player/parent contract, contact/tryout info sheet
Above items provided in informational packet through Jenifer Jones @ CCHS, Carey Marici @ SC Lee, and Kathy Bullock @ CCJH
If you have any questions, please contact Jenifer Jones via email
covejuniors@gmail.com or (c) 817-614-9375
Jenifer M. Jones
Wednesday, October 28
'Cats Cooled: Lady Dawgs rally from 2-0 deficit Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 28 2009 04:12 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
TEMPLE – From start to finish Tuesday night, Temple looked and played like a team fighting for its playoff life, which the Tem-Cats were.
Lose at home Tuesday and there was a chance Temple's season would have ended.
On the other side, Copperas Cove looked and played like a team that knew it was already headed to the playoffs and guaranteed at least one more match.
At least for the opening two games.
The Lady Bulldawgs rallied from an 0-2 deficit, winning the five-game thriller against Temple 19-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-13.
Cove (31-8) already had second place locked up going into Tuesday, and finished 11-3 in District 12-5A behind A&M Consolidated (14-0). The top-seeded Lady Tigers extended their district win streak to 41 consecutive matches with a win Tuesday over Bryan (8-6), which along with Cove's win over Temple (8-6) put both losers in a tie for fourth place. Belton (9-5) took the third spot with a sweep over Shoemaker.
Temple and Bryan split their season series and face off either Friday or Saturday at a place to be determined to decide the 12-5A fourth seed.
Cove will face Mesquite Horn, which finished third in 11-5A, for the second straight season to open the playoffs. The bi-district playoff is tentatively set for Tuesday night in Waco High.
"Temple played a great match all the way through," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "They wanted it. It was important to them and they played like it.
"In Game 1 and 2, we did not."
The Tem-Cats (21-16) set the tempo right from the start, winning the match's first five points on a pair of blocks from Kaitlin Muniz and Faith Thompson and three Cove errors. Temple stayed in front with its hitting while Cove's defense had little answer in the first two games. The Tem-Cats continually hit around the Lady Dawgs' block, while the kills kept finding space around Cove's back row.
Up 21-19, Temple went to sophomore Loryn Goodwin for three straight kills, while a Thompson kill won the game.
The teams went back and forth in Game 2, but Temple pulled away late. Tied 17-17, the Tem-Cats scored eight of the final nine points.
"They outplayed us in Games 1 and 2," Lowery said. "We shouldn't have had to raise our intensity because they knew coming in this was a do-or-die for Temple. But again, they are teenage girls and just because they hear you doesn't mean they're actually absorbing."
Cove finally turned it on in Game 3 after the Tem-Cats scored three consecutive points, tying the score at 10-10. The Lady Dawgs scored six of the next seven points, including service aces from Amy Rosenbaum and Teneshia Abney to force a Temple timeout. The Tem-Cats didn't get any closer than five points the rest of the game.
"Game 3 we didn't play well," Temple coach Susie Hughlett said. "Game 4 I thought we picked it back up. We just got into that non-aggressive volleyball play. When we do what we're supposed to do, we can play with anybody."
Temple's passive style, along with Cove's hitters, led to the Lady Dawgs taking early command of Game 5. Cove scored four straight points, forcing a Temple timeout, and followed with three of the next four for a 7-1 lead.
Temple rallied however behind Goodwin, who scored seven straight Tem-Cat points to cut Cove's lead to 11-10. Goodwin later tied the score at 12-12, but a Temple line violation and Michelle Blount kill gave the Lady Dawgs match point.
The Tem-Cats fought off a first match point with a Muniz kill, but the senior's next attempt went into the net, giving Cove the match.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Wednesday, October 28
7th Grade SC LEE
District Champs!!!!!
Front row: Aubrayon Woodkins, Raelynn Morris-Utu, Lexi Perez. 2nd Row: Hunter Florian, Mikayla Blount Back Row: Destinee’ Toleafoa, Claire Patterson, Coach Joyce Segraves, Jadelyn Chaco, Tatiana Wagner, Destinee’ Branch & Alexis Jones
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Friday, October 23
Lady Dawgs get by Ellison in 3 games Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 21 2009 04:24 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – The way the Copperas Cove fans were cheering late Tuesday, trying to will the Lady Bulldawgs to a win, it would have seemed if Cove was fighting through the fifth game of a long, drawn-out, back-and-forth match.
It wasn't that – Cove knocked off Ellison in a three-game sweep (25-18, 25-11, 26-24) – but it wasn't an easy sweep.
"I felt this coming," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "We've played three really great matches in a row, Friday, Tuesday, Friday. There has to be a little bit of a letdown."
Cove came in beating likely playoff teams Bryan and Belton, and Harker Heights in between going into Tuesday. The Dawgs already swept Ellison this season and had the pomp and circumstance of senior night as well.
As far as the volleyball, the Lady Dawgs were drawn into Ellison's more chaotic style of play, in addition to numerous hitting errors. The Lady Eagles kept rallies alive, staying with Cove through much of the first and last games.
"They did an awesome job compared to how we've been playing," Ellison coach Cari Nanna said. "We're definitely trying to turn the end of the season around. Whether or not its with a win or a loss, they're coming out and playing harder than they have been."
The Lady Dawgs (29-8) remain in second place in District 12-5A, improving to 9-3 while Ellison (6-26) falls to 1-11.
Cove stayed a few points ahead of Ellison through most of game three, but an Amanda Cruddas service ace followed by a Lady Dawg hitting error put the Lady Eagles up 20-19 and forced a Cove timeout. Three more hitting errors over the next four points gave Ellison a three point lead and forced Lowery to call a second timeout.
That second timeout did the trick.
Cove put away consecutive shots, with Amy Rosenbaum setting shots to Jessica Williams and Michelle Blount. Ellison's Desiree Wylie and Ocleta Young blocked a third kill, but Cove got the next point to get within one, 24-23.
"Ellison and us play such polar opposite styles of volleyball that there's no rhyme or rhythm or reason in that game right there. There was zero rhythm - just randomness coming back and we started playing that with them instead of playing our game until the very last minute when we had to step up and play. Then it's like, 'Where have we been?'"
Nanna called a timeout, but it didn't stop Cove's hitters. An Amy Moore kill tied the game and Kelly Kearns gave the Lady Dawgs match point. Blount ended it, putting away a loose ball at the net.
"I tried to tell them that we had to get back into our game, our structured game where we're running an offense," Lowery said. "We play little tippy-tat, pity-pat in the middle with them, and they won that every time because that's what they do. We ended up playing little stuff with them right in the middle, and that's where they live."
The same happened in the opener despite Cove keeping a four- or five-point lead throughout the game. The Lady Eagles made three errors in the first six points, but were able to find their shots, either getting kills of sets or putting away loose balls at the net. It wasn't the same in a one-sided second game, as Cove quickly jumped out to a 9-3 lead, only to extend it to double digits with its hitting and serving (three services aces).
Megan McKinnon led Ellison with five kills, while Wylie added four kills and a team-best four blocks.
Cove's Phyllicia Cross had 11 kills and 15 digs, while Moore and Teneshia Abney adding 17 and 15 digs, respectively. Blount (seven solo blocks) and Williams (three) led the defense at the net.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Thursday, October 15
Cove takes over 2nd place with win, Lady Vikings loss Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 14 2009 01:32 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – A week ago, Copperas Cove was on the bad end of a reminder from A&M Consolidated to the rest of District 12-5A.
The Lady Bulldawgs are in second place but first-place A&M Consolidated showed why coaches say the Lady Tigers are head and shoulders above their district mates, beating Cove in three games. A&M Consolidated remains atop 12-5A while the Lady Dawgs quickly got back on track. Cove (27-8) made it two wins in a row Tuesday at home, beating Harker Heights, 25-10, 25-4, 25-18.
Cove, which beat Bryan on the road Friday for the first time in program history, improved to 7-3 in district play. The Lady Dawgs are in sole possession of second place after Belton beat Bryan on Tuesday. Cove swept the Lady Vikings in their season series and meet Belton for the second time Friday.
Harker Heights fell to 3-7 in district play and 10-16 overall.
The Lady Knights stayed with Cove for nearly half of the opener and most of the final game, but it was a completely one-sided second game that showed just how powerful the Lady Dawgs can be when their offense is going and how much ahead they are than Harker Heights. Cove features five hitters and actually a sixth in setter Amy Rosenbaum, who goes to outside hitter during the rotation.
"That's how good it can be – it can be 25-4 good," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "With us, if they can stop one of us, they can't stop all of us."
Cove scored six of the game's first seven points, with all but one coming on Lady Dawg kills and three different hitters scoring points. Rosenbaum set the first pass behind her, where Kelly Kearns put it down. Phyllicia Cross followed with kills between a Lady Knights point, then Alex Chace, Kearns and Cross hit consecutive kills to force a Harker Heights timeout.
"It's exactly like a setter's dream," said Rosenbaum, who finished with 25 assists.
The stoppage didn't stop Cove's offense, as the Lady Dawgs scored five more points before a block error gave Harker Heights its second point. The Lady Knights' offense accounted for two of the four points, with the others coming off Cove errors. A service error put Harker Heights down 15-3, but the Lady Dawgs followed with nine straight points, including three Kenya Williams aces.
In all, five different Lady Dawgs recorded kills in the game, got four service points and two more from their block. Kearns (three solo blocks) and Cross (three aces) led Cove with nine and eight kills, respectively, while Williams added 10 assists.
"They don't run exact hitting patterns," Harker Heights coach Chris Wiley said of the Lady Dawgs. "They run good sets to where your block is not always set up and they do a good job of putting the ball where it needs to go. When it comes down to that, it leaves you scrambling most of the time and that never helps you get the job done."
Harker Heights stayed with Cove for most of Game 3, leading on five different occasions. The Lady Knights' last lead came at 14-13, which they rallied to get after losing their largest lead of the night (11-8).
"It's really harder for the team that won like that to then say, 'Oh, now we have to step up? For what?'" Lowery said. "The other team has nothing to lose. They just play or don't play – they have nothing to lose."
Cove quickly retook the lead, scoring eight straight points from its offense and Harker Heights errors to take control of the match.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Thursday, October 1
Lady Dawgs take care of business vs. Shoemaker Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 30 2009 05:22 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – The Copperas Cove Lady Bulldawgs did what they were supposed to do at home Tuesday night – win.
The Lady Dawgs entered as a 23-win squad right in the mix at the top of the District 12-5A standings.
The Shoemaker Lady Grey Wolves came in with just three wins, which was as many as Cove already had in district play.
That didn't mean it was going to be easy, however, but Cove took care of Shoemaker, beating the Lady Wolves 25-21, 25-10, 25-16. The Lady Dawgs (24-7) go to 4-2 in 12-5A, while Shoemaker (3-25) falls to 0-6.
Tuesday was Cove's second straight match over a team near the bottom of the standings (Cove beat Ellison on Friday). The schedule shifts dramatically, as the Lady Dawgs' next three matches are at home against Temple, who entered Tuesday in a third-place tie with Cove and Belton, before consecutive road contests at first-place A&M Consolidated and Bryan next week."Every game is important for all of us up there in it," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "It's a must win for everybody at this point. Because any one game could be the difference between second or fourth."
Cove quickly pulled away in the opening game as the Lady Wolves struggled with their hitting. The lead reached 10-4 before Shoemaker rallied, getting back-to-back aces from Ebonie Davis during a five-point run to get within a point.
The teams went back and forth from there, but Shoemaker couldn't close the gap and lost the opening game.
The Lady Wolves struggled with their hitting throughout, putting numerous kills either into the net or out of bounds.
"Our passing was better tonight," Shoemaker coach Stacey Halim said. "We've been struggling with our passing, but then it's like we had one good thing and everything else fell apart. We have to be consistent.
"We can't, one game, have something good and have everything else go bad. You don't stop working on the things that are working well because you're working on something else."
Game 2 was all Cove, which quickly turned a 6-4 game into a 16-5 runaway. Kelly Kearns put away three kills during a five-point stretch, putting the Lady Dawgs up 22-8 in the third. Shoemaker fought off game point twice, which included an Audrey Bartee kill on an errant Cove pass, but Phyllicia Cross ended the game with a kill from the back row.
Cove used a seven-point run to put Shoemaker away in Game 3, though the Lady Wolves again rallied on the Lady Dawgs' match point before Kearns ended the match with her team-high 13th kill.
Rosenbaum and Kenya Williams combined for 29 assists, while Cross had six kills and three aces. Michelle Blount led Cove with five total blocks.
Shoemaker will look to pick up its first district win Friday at home against Belton.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com
or (254) 501-7564.
Thursday, September 24
Weaver leads Belton past Copperas Cove Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 23 2009 02:17 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
BELTON – As Copperas Cove coach Cari Lowery put it after her team lost in four games to Belton, Cove didn't play its game Tuesday night.
Instead, Lowery said, the Lady Dawgs were pulled into playing Belton's style of play, which of course, favored the Lady Tigers. Belton and big-time hitter Grace Weaver did the rest, beating Cove 25-21, 19-25, 25-16. 25-23 at home.
"When you start playing what somebody else does, they're going to beat you at it because that's what they do," Lowery said.
Cove (22-7) and Belton (8-20) both evened their District 12-5A records to 2-2, tied for third place behind first-place A&M Consolidated (4-0), Temple (3-1) and Bryan (3-1). For the Lady Tigers though, coach Justeen Patton said Tuesday was a statement win, as Belton lost to Bryan, which Cove beat last week.
"That's huge for us," Patton said. "We had something to prove. Last year, Cove, Bryan and Belton tied for second last year in the district. We don't want to tie for second – we want second."
Belton did most of its damage with Weaver, who finished with a season-high 33 kills, most of which came against a Cove defense that never looked comfortable setting up its block or defenders on the back row. Weaver hit the game-winner in the opening game and gave the Lady Dawgs their only win as she missed wide to end game two.
As the teams went back and forth to start three game, Cove wasn't getting the kills its used to. With Belton up 13-12, the Lady Dawgs had just four kills while Belton had seven. The Lady Tigers then took complete control, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to jump out to a 23-14 lead.
Cove was even caught off-guard trying to make a substitution, as Brooke Malcik aced Cove while Lowery tried to get Alicia Anderson into the match. The Lady Dawgs made the switch, but Malcik aced Cove a second time for the fourth of six straight Belton points.
Cove stayed with Belton in Game 4, and even led 23-22, before the Lady Tigers ran off three straight points. But during much of the play around the net, the Lady Dawgs weren't setting up their offense and relying on their hitter, Lowery said, but instead simply hitting balls back over.
"We never got any rhythm going defensively or offensively," Lowery said. "Our block was just non-existent tonight. Really, with only one hitter, even if we let her do whatever she wanted to, we should have been able to control the game. We just didn't do it."
Kelly Kearns led Cove with 13 kills and six solo blocks, while Amber Moore had 20 digs and two aces. Amy Rosenbaum added 22 assists to go with 12 digs.
Wednesday, September 16
Lady Dawgs down Bryan Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 16 2009 05:26 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – Since it's just two games into District 12-5A play, a 1-1 district record may not be all that much different from being 0-2. The Copperas Cove Lady Dawgs even started 0-2 in district last season but reached the playoffs.
Still, there definitely is a mental advantage to getting that first district win after starting with a loss – which Cove did – as opposed to losing that second district game, the Lady Dawgs said. Cove made sure that happened at home Tuesday, beating Bryan 25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20.
"0-2 sounds worse than 1-1," senior Kelly Kearns said. "When you lose twice in a row, that kind of brings your spirits down, so being 1-1 does perk us back up."
Cove (21-6) was swept in its district opener Friday at A&M Consolidated but quickly rebounded against a Lady Viking team that starts three freshmen but has finished first or second in district in each of the past four seasons.
"That's a big win right now because it's Bryan," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "It's always been A&M Consolidated and Bryan that's dominated this district."
After taking Game 1, which included three aces from Michelle Blount, Cove struggled with its defense in the second game. Facing all-district hitter Tiffany Regmund and freshman Reagan Boenker, the Lady Dawgs on multiple occasions in Game 2 were either out of position with their block at the net or defenders in the back row.
Regmund and Boenker combined for 14 kills in the game, with a Regmund kill from the back row putting Bryan up 24-20. Cove's Phyllicia Cross answered with back-to-back aces, but the Lady Vikings went back to Regmund for the game winner.
"The block wasn't there," Lowery said. "We know what they're going to do. She's a big hitter and we know she's a big hitter.
"She's going to go to whatever we leave open. So if we can't stop her on the block, then the defense has to be there to dig, but we were inconsistent."
The momentum went back the Lady Dawgs in Game 3, thanks in large part of a Kearns-Jessica Williams block and a second Kearns block on the ensuing play. Cove slowly stretched its cushion from five points to seven before taking the game.
Game 4 started back and forth, but Cove went on a nine-point run, turning a two-point deficit into a 19-12 lead. Bryan (10-13, 1-1) got as close as 23-20, but consecutive errant kills gave Cove the match.
"Game 5 is quick and it's not always the best team that wins, so you got to do it," Lowery said of closing out the match.
Cross and Amber Moore each had 11 kills for the Lady Dawgs, while Cross added 23 digs. Setter Amy Rosenbaum had 27 assists. Blount (three solo blocks, one assist) and Kearns (two solo blocks, four assists) led Cove at the net.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com
or (254) 501-7564.
Wednesday, September 9
Volleyball: Cove splits dual match at Round Rock McNeil Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 9 2009 05:18 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
AUSTIN – The Copperas Cove Lady Dawgs, who started their season off to such a hot start, are discovering that things aren't all going to be easy for them.
Cove rebounded from a mid-week loss to Pflugerville Connally, beating Hutto for the first time in program history, doing so in five games Friday. The Lady Dawgs (20-5) did the same again, but in a matter of hours instead of days as Cove split its two matches Tuesday in a dual match at Round Rock McNeil.
McNeil beat Cove in the opener 25-21, 14-25, 25-21, 25-23. The Lady Dawgs then turned right around and knocked off Elgin 25-13, 25-11, 28-26.
Part of Cove's up-and-down nature the last few weeks is a lineup that keeps changing as head coach Cari Lowery makes substitutions due to injuries (senior Michelle Blount is playing through a knee injury) and illnesses. The changes have gone back three weeks and was no different Tuesday, as Lowery even made a lineup change between the two matches.
"It's just something we're having to do right now," Lowery said. "We're having to play some people in positions they don't normally play until we get Michelle well. I'm really trying to save her for district because that's the season that counts."
Blount is only playing on the right side and playing two rotations, with the younger and shorter Alex Chace seeing extended playing time. Chace hasn't disappointed, finishing the day with 16 total blocks.
Cove and McNeil split the first two games before the Lady Mavericks put away a close third game. A Kelly Kearns-Jessica Williams block pulled the Lady Dawgs to within 21-20, but McNeil scored the next three points and a pair of Alexandra Alexandra kills ended the game.
Both teams matched scoring runs in game four. McNeil scored four straight points to go up 5-1 and Cove answered with the same to tie the game at 8-8. The Lady Mavericks went out to a 14-10 lead only to have the Lady Dawgs score five of the next seven points.
McNeil made a final run, scoring five straight points to push its lead to 21-15. That gave the Lady Mavericks the cushion they needed, as Cove twice got to within a point but couldn't hold off McNeil at match point.
"Honestly, I thought we played well against McNeil," Lowery said. "We just made some minor, little errors – we missed a lot of serves. You can't miss a lot of good serves playing a good team. Our defense looked as well as it's looked in a while."
Cove went immediately back out on the court against Elgin and made quick work of the Lady Wildcats through two games. The Lady Dawgs made their biggest run in the second game, scoring 10 consecutive points and 15-of-17, turning a 6-6 game into a 21-8 runaway.
The third game went quickly into Elgin's favor, with Cove down six before slowly cutting into the Lady Wildcats' lead. Cove tied the game at 22-22 and then fought off game point three times before a Chace kill and Chase-Blount block ended the match.
Kearns led Cove with 19 kills over the two matches, while Phyllicia Cross had 41 digs. Amy Rosenbaum had double-digit assists in both matches.
"We very easily tonight could have folded up after losing to McNeil and not been able to play Elgin at all," Lowery said. "We could have folded up but we didn't do that. We came out and played with the same intensity."
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com
or (254) 501-7564.
Wednesday, September 16
| Lady Dawgs outlast scrappy Burnet team |
Wednesday, September 2
Volleyball: Connally avenges loss to Lady Dawgs Posted On: Wednesday, Sep. 2 2009 05:01 AM
By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
PFLUGERVILLE – Most of this volleyball season has come very easy for the Copperas Cove Lady Bulldawgs, who have garnered plenty of attention along the way.
Cove started the season 15-0, winning two tournaments, including a win over Pflugerville Connally, its opponent Tuesday. The Lady Dawgs even jumped into the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 5A poll last week.
Now, it was time to see how the Lady Dawgs rebound. Cove entered Tuesday following a 3-3 showing in the Fredericksburg Tournament. Cove coach Cari Lowery said the team's first loss was actually beneficial, showing the Lady Dawgs every match wasn't as easy as they had been starting off.
The Lady Dawgs got another lesson Tuesday at Connally as Cove took the opening game before falling to the Lady Cougars 17-25, 25-16, 28-26, 25-17.
"I think (we) were a little intimidated at first," Connally coach Christi Dreier said. "We played them in the Cove Tournament and they beat us handily. I think they went out there with that expectation.
"We're just a different team now. The difference in the last games was we just recovered after we made errors, whereas we didn't recover in the first game at all."
The Lady Cougars did, in fact, recover, as Cove was in complete control to start the match, as they have been all season. Cove scored first in the second game, but Connally scored eight of the next nine points to force a Lady Dawg timeout. Connally went to its hitters at the center of the net, as Latifah Brager and O'Terrica Mathis continually found holes around the Cove blockers.
Connally won the second game 25-16, but nearly gave away the third. The Lady Cougars again jumped out to a lead, but Cove stayed within striking distance and kept inching closer to Connally. The Lady Dawgs tied the game 22-22 and later fought off game-point.
Cove also lost Michelle Blount during the third game. The senior is still recovering from a knee injury suffered at the Gatesville Tournament just over a week ago, and had to sit out the rest of the match.
"We just made mistakes," Lowery said. "We're just making the same mistakes.
And we are getting all shook up by the fact that Michelle's not in.
"We're letting that take us out of the ballgame."
It was more of Lady Cougars in the fourth game, scoring the opening four points and slowly pulling away from Cove. Connally pushed its lead to 21-10 before multiple errors and a Kenya Williams ace pulled the Lady Dawgs to within eight at 23-15. Connally finished the match with a final kill from the center from sophomore Elizabeth Johnbull.
"We got a couple of marginal calls, them saying we were touching some balls that were going out," Lowery said. "And we're letting that kind of stuff get in our heads. Everybody gets bad calls. We (have) to be mature enough to step up, let that go and do what we have to do so that doesn't matter."
Phyllicia Cross led the Lady Dawgs with 12 kills and 22 digs, while Amber Moore added nine kills. Jessica Williams had four solo blocks, while Alex Chace had seven assisted blocks.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Killeen Daily Herald
PFLUGERVILLE – Most of this volleyball season has come very easy for the Copperas Cove Lady Bulldawgs, who have garnered plenty of attention along the way.
Cove started the season 15-0, winning two tournaments, including a win over Pflugerville Connally, its opponent Tuesday. The Lady Dawgs even jumped into the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 5A poll last week.
Now, it was time to see how the Lady Dawgs rebound. Cove entered Tuesday following a 3-3 showing in the Fredericksburg Tournament. Cove coach Cari Lowery said the team's first loss was actually beneficial, showing the Lady Dawgs every match wasn't as easy as they had been starting off.
The Lady Dawgs got another lesson Tuesday at Connally as Cove took the opening game before falling to the Lady Cougars 17-25, 25-16, 28-26, 25-17.
"I think (we) were a little intimidated at first," Connally coach Christi Dreier said. "We played them in the Cove Tournament and they beat us handily. I think they went out there with that expectation.
"We're just a different team now. The difference in the last games was we just recovered after we made errors, whereas we didn't recover in the first game at all."
The Lady Cougars did, in fact, recover, as Cove was in complete control to start the match, as they have been all season. Cove scored first in the second game, but Connally scored eight of the next nine points to force a Lady Dawg timeout. Connally went to its hitters at the center of the net, as Latifah Brager and O'Terrica Mathis continually found holes around the Cove blockers.
Connally won the second game 25-16, but nearly gave away the third. The Lady Cougars again jumped out to a lead, but Cove stayed within striking distance and kept inching closer to Connally. The Lady Dawgs tied the game 22-22 and later fought off game-point.
Cove also lost Michelle Blount during the third game. The senior is still recovering from a knee injury suffered at the Gatesville Tournament just over a week ago, and had to sit out the rest of the match.
"We just made mistakes," Lowery said. "We're just making the same mistakes.
And we are getting all shook up by the fact that Michelle's not in.
"We're letting that take us out of the ballgame."
It was more of Lady Cougars in the fourth game, scoring the opening four points and slowly pulling away from Cove. Connally pushed its lead to 21-10 before multiple errors and a Kenya Williams ace pulled the Lady Dawgs to within eight at 23-15. Connally finished the match with a final kill from the center from sophomore Elizabeth Johnbull.
"We got a couple of marginal calls, them saying we were touching some balls that were going out," Lowery said. "And we're letting that kind of stuff get in our heads. Everybody gets bad calls. We (have) to be mature enough to step up, let that go and do what we have to do so that doesn't matter."
Phyllicia Cross led the Lady Dawgs with 12 kills and 22 digs, while Amber Moore added nine kills. Jessica Williams had four solo blocks, while Alex Chace had seven assisted blocks.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Tuesday, September 1
Cove's Blount helps lead Lady Dawgs to fast start Posted On: Tuesday, Sep. 1 2009 02:02 AM By Nick Talbot
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – Michelle Blount never had much of a jump shot.
Only a kill shot.
Though a big basketball fan, the 6-foot-tall Blount gave up the game early in her athletic career to pursue a game she adored even more – volleyball.
Lately, she has been reaping the rewards of that decision.
Blount, a senior, is the middle blocker for the Copperas Cove Lady Dawgs this season and so for the results have been solid if not spectacular. Cove started the season 15-0 and was ranked sixth in the state before heading to the Fredericksburg tournament this past weekend.
There Cove hit a speed bump, going 3-3 in the Fredericksburg tournament. A main reason– Blount was not at 100 percent.
She had bruised her knee in a collision in the semifinal game against Rogers in the Gatesville tournament the week before. Assistant coach Sarah Holmes listed her at only 75 percent. But, despite the injury, Blount has decided to play through the pain.
"We are hoping she is ready to go all out by the time district starts," Holmes said.
The only game Blount missed was the Gatesville tournament final against the Lady Hornets, but Copperas Cove united without her and won the game anyway for its second straight tournament title of the year. It just was not as easy. The Lady Dawgs defeated Gatesville 25-16, 27-25.
Blount said the main reason for the team's hot start to 2009 was its unselfishness.
"We are really well-rounded, and we can pick up each other's slack …," Blount said. "…We have eight seniors and anyone can have the night of their life any time."
Just pinning the success on teamwork, though, would be selling the team short of its athletic gifts. Including Blount, Cove has four players that are 6-foot or taller – Sophomore Amy Rosenbaum, and fellow seniors Kelly Kearns and Jessica Williams.
"We are big," Blount said. "Even our littlest is not little, Kenya (Williams), she plays big."
Of course, Blount was not always the biggest and the baddest in the middle of the court. In seventh grade, she was only 5-foot-1. At one point she even called herself toothpick, because, well, it fit.
It does not anymore. Soon thereafter, she shot up four inches in a single summer and, "I just kept on going from there," Blount said.
She may not have much of a jump shot or any musical talents – she admits she even stinks at Guitar Hero – but the senior brings more than just height and some killer hops on the volleyball court.
"She brings leadership and a strong sense of focus," said Copperas Cove volleyball coach Cari Lowery.
"She is a on a mission to finish the season like we should have finished it last year or even the year before. This is her third year on varsity and … she has a huge role on the team."
"She sees the court very well and is court aware. She knows what we are supposed to do and even what the other team is about to do."
Blount attributes her leadership ability to something that happened to her five years ago. And it was not that growth spurt.
Once again back in seventh grade, Blount was nominated for a position with the C5 Youth Foundation, an organization that uses five years of intensive leadership experiences in a summer camp setting, year-round leadership development programs and community service to help meld young leaders.
Through that program, Blount said she was able experience things others normally do not get to do. Sometimes it was white-water rafting on a trip to Montana or taking on a local project that focused on examining the dropout rate in area high schools and finding ways to solve it.
And while all of her and her C5 team's ideas may not be adopted, the experience, and those like it, taught Blount how and when to lead.
"I have learned that life is an adventure," Blount said. "I really feel that program made me become a better leader."
Take, for instance, her role on the Cove team.
"I know on this team, with eight seniors and three captains, there are a lot of leaders and it makes it harder because everyone is trying to be a leader," Blount said. "I know that in order to be a good leader sometimes you have to follow."
"If someone else is trying to step up, I am not going to try to overpower them."
With that chemistry, Blount believes this a Cove team that can go all the way to state, even if, at times, its own experience gets in the way.
"We can go all the way," she said "We have really good chemistry, but sometimes it counteracts itself; because we sometimes anticipate that someone else will do something. Then the ball drops. We have to be more aggressive."
With the recent successes, though, Blount said she knows the Lady Dawgs can achieve their goal of making it to the state tournament.
"At the very least we have put our names out there."
Contact Nick Talbot at ntalbot@kdhnews.com or (254)501-7569.
Monday, August 24
Texas Girls Coaches Association Poll Results
| Class 5A | |||
| 1. | San Antonio Reagan | ||
| 2. | Austin Westlake | ||
| 3. | San Antonio O'Connor | ||
| 4. | Allen | ||
| 5. | Houston Stratford | ||
| 6. | Copperas Cove | ||
| 7. | Amarillo | ||
| 8. | Houston Clear Creek | ||
| 9. | Smithson Valley | ||
| 10. | Round Rock Westwood | ||
Comments: Amarillo edged Westlake in a five game barn burner to win Duncanville while Reagan won Westwood and Cy Woods won the Cypress tournament. Smithson Valley won Wimberley while O’Connor won the Northside tournament. Man is 5A good this year. Week two for tournaments saw Allen win the Texas Open including a win over Amarillo while Stratford won the Spring Branch tournament by beating Clear Creek 25-17, 25-15 after earlier beating Cy Woods 25-17, 25-21. Cy Woods recovered to beat Richmond foster for third. Copperas Cove is 15-0 winning the Cove tournament and the Gatesville tournament this past weekend. Allen beat Coppell 24-26 25-23 25-17 top win the Texas Open. Allen beat Amarillo in the quarterfinals while Coppell ousted Lovejoy who placed third by beating Plano West. Pearce won the silver finals over El Paso Coronado. |
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Monday, August 24
Volleyball: Undefeated Cove wins Gatesville Tournament Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 23 2009 05:10 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
GATESVILLE – Coaches and their teams don't always welcome adversity, but most will agree that working through rough patches is not only beneficial, but makes a program and its individuals better.
The Copperas Cove Lady Dawgs, who haven't faced much adversity during their early run to a 13-0 record to start the year, got nearly more than they bargained for Saturday night. Just before they were set to take on Gatesville in the championship game of the Gatesville Tournament, the Lady Dawgs lost starter Michelle Blount for the match. The senior went down with a minor knee injury, and was scratched from the lineup as a precaution.
Then there was the matter of a Gatesville squad that gave Cove all it could handle, nearly forcing the Lady Dawgs to endure what they haven't in quite some time – losing a game.
But Cove prevailed, fighting back from as many as nine points down in the second game to beat the host team and take the title 25-16, 27-25. The Lady Dawgs improved to 15-0 in taking their second tournament championship.
It wasn't easy though.
"We dug a hole," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "We can't forget that we dug ourselves a hole, but that is the sign of a solid team when you dig yourself back out of a hole. They didn't lose their composure, they stayed focus and they just kept plugging."
Following a quick first game, Gatesville turned the tables on the Lady Dawgs. A Janey Phillips kill ended a long, first-point rally, and the Lady Hornets jumped out to an 8-1 lead before Lowery called a timeout. Cove slowly chipped away, thanks in part to Gatesville mistakes, but the Lady Hornets stayed out front at 17-10 and 20-11.
At 21-13, Cove made its push, outscoring Gatesville 11-3 to tie the game (24-24), which included six consecutive points to fend off game-point. A Cove service error gave the Lady Hornets game-point again, but a Phyllicia Cross kill tied the game again. Amy Rosenbaum served out the final two points, with the match-winner falling in between two Lady Hornets just inside the boundary line.
"Second game, they came out and started playing like they can and our inexperience kind of showed up," Gatesville assistant coach Ken Fowler said. "That was a pressure game and we just gave up some points when we didn't need to."
Said Rosenbaum, who had 12 assists and six kills: "That was so intense, but we've dug ourselves out of holes bigger than that and we have so much fight and fire to win."
The final's excitement may have eclipsed what could have been the match of the tournament, as a young Temple team not only rallied from 10 points down to take game one, but held off an experienced Salado squad 25-23, 23-25, 25-20 to win the consolation bracket. The Lady Eagles, who reached the Class 2A region finals last season, led 15-5 and 16-6 before Temple rallied.
Salado won a back-and-forth second game, but couldn't close the gap in the finale – Temple led for all but three points.
In other tournament games involving local teams, Harker Heights beat Shoemaker in the consolation bracket quarterfinals. The Lady Knights fell to Temple in the semifinals, while Shoemaker ended its day beating Groesbeck.
Lampasas defeated Waco La Vega, and Florence fell to China Spring in addition to its loss against Salado.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
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Cove JV Triumps in Gatesville Tournamet
Friday, August 21
Dawgs, Hornets make semis in Gatesville Posted On: Friday, Aug. 21 2009 06:48 AM
By Angel VerdejoKilleen Daily Herald
GATESVILLE – Some things stayed just as they have been during the early weeks of the volleyball season.
Copperas Cove, which had 10 wins in 10 matches through Tuesday, picked up three more victories Thursday to open play in the Gatesville Tournament. The Lady Dawgs already have one tournament championship, winning their own tournament last weekend, and put themselves in position for another with wins over Lampasas, Liberty Hill and Taylor.
"Today we meshed well as a team," said Cove assistant coach Sarah Holmes. "You play a lot of different teams and you never know what is coming. You just get back on defense and you never give up on anything."
Cove continued on a trend it's put together for most of the season – not dropping a game. The Lady Dawgs' closest game was the 25-23 finale against Lampasas. Cove faces Rogers in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gatesville High new gym.
Rogers beat Waco La Vega, Burnet and Pflugerville Hendrickson to set up its meeting with Cove.
The other semifinal features the host team, as Gatesville dominated Marlin for its third win on the day. The two teams played a close first game (25-23), before Gatesville outside hitter Shelby Watson and middle blocker Glynna Johnson got in tune with setters Kaitlin Poe and Skye Truss. What resulted was a run after run, as Gatesville jumped out to a 13-4 lead and followed with a 10 straight points before winning the game 25-9.
"They're starting to gel and taking their lumps along the way," Gatesville assistant coach Ken Fowler said. "It's just a lot of fundamentals that they do everyday and it pays off in the long run."
Gatesville will play Lago Vista in its semifinal at 3 p.m. at the new gym.
For other local teams, the tournament's opening day wasn't as friendly. Harker Heights and Florence dropped their first-round games, and with the bracket set-up, both won't play again until Saturday. The Lady Knights' play concerned head coach Chris Wiley, but the short day didn't.
"We've played nine games in two weeks so lacking games isn't one of problems," Wiley said. "We've lacked a little bit of practice time due to that, but like I said, it's one of those things where that's really not a determining factor. You have to come out and play your game game in and game out."
Harker Heights, which Wiley called a "defensive-minded" team, struggled with just that against an attacking and aggressive Marlin.
Shoemaker and Salado both rebounded from first-round losses. The Lady Wolves lost to Hillsboro only to bounce back three hours later with a win over Hamilton.
"That's one thing we've been working on since the beginning," Shoemaker coach Stacy Halim said of coming back from the loss. "We have good things happening in little spurts and we're trying to continue to keep it."
Salado dropped its opener to Liberty Hill, but later beat Lampasas.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564
Wednesday, August 19
Volleyball: Lady Dawgs tested, but improve to 10-0 Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 02:32 AM By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – It's been a while since the undefeated Lady Dawgs dropped a game.
The same held true at home Tuesday night against Burnet – Copperas Cove won the match in three games. But the visiting Lady Dawgs made Cove earn it, which included fending off seven match points. Cove prevailed however, putting Burnet away 25-13, 25-18, 34-32 and extending its perfect mark to 10-0 on the year.
"We needed this," Cove coach Cari Lowery said. "It doesn't help me but it helps them because we have played really well in game one and then in game two, the other teams have fallen apart a little bit and crumbled and we have dominated.
"And we're 16 (years old), and so we think it's going to happen all the time no matter how many times coach Lowery tells us it isn't going to happen all the time. We're going to have to work for it. So that was good for us."
Despite not dropping a set, the Lady Dawgs had their backs against the wall on a few occasions during the final two games. Burnet even had a 24-23 lead in a back-and-forth third game, but consecutive errant kills put Cove in position to end the match.
Burnet (4-3) fought off three Cove matchpoints and got two straight Eden Sultemeir kills to go up 28-27 and force a Lady Dawg timeout. Following a service error, Burnet couldn't handle a Michelle Blount kill, and the senior put Cove back up 29-28.
"They are a very strong offensive team and we were struggling with our block," Burnet coach Bethany Grissom said. "That always hurts you. In the end, they had more offense than we did."
The teams went back and forth on the next seven points, leaving the game tied at 32. On the ensuing rally, Cove's Kelly Kearns and Jessica Williams combined to block a Sultemeir kill. The Lady Dawgs wasted little time on their next possession, as sophomore Amy Rosenbaum looked to set but instead dumped the ball over the net for the game winner.
"This helps a lot – more than you can explain," said Blount, who finished with a team-high 12 kills and six blocks. "Mentally you have to prepare yourself for that and it helps that it came along."
Cove began as it has all year, attacking offensively and putting distance between itself and Burnet. Up 8-7 in the first game, the Lady Dawgs scored 15 of 18 points, including streaks of six and seven straight.
The Lady Dawgs made another run in game two, but not before a slow start had helped Burnet gain some momentum early.
"We were playing a little bit sluggish," Lowery said of the second game. "That's that 16-year-old thing."
Amber Moore led Cove with 17 digs, while Rosenbaum had 19 assists and Phyllicia Cross added three aces.
Contact Angel Verdejo at averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.
Sunday, August 16
Cove Take 1st in their 1st Cove Invitational
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Sunday, August 16
Perfect Start: 9-0 Lady Dawgs win own tournament Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 16 2009 06:50 AM By Nick Talbot
Killeen Daily Herald
COPPERAS COVE – Kara Kemp and Christina Miller are not walking through the Bulldawg Gymnasium doors anytime soon.
And it does not seem to matter.
While at Copperas Cove, Miller smashed 414 kills while Kemp posted 366 blocks, both Lady Dawg volleyball records.
Both graduated in May, but the Lady Dawgs have not missed a beat this season.
Copperas Cove (9-0) won its own inaugural volleyball tournament Saturday by defeating Pflugerville Connally 25-18 and 25-16 in the championship game.
"We got a lot of touches on a lot of blocks, and if we did not block it, we got a lot of digs," said Copperas Cove coach Cari Lowery. "So, they could not find a place to put the ball down and that wears teams out.
"Connally has some big hitters, But we contained them. They got some kills, but not like they did the rest of the weekend."
Amber Moore led the way with 12 digs, five kills and an ace in the championship game and Phyllicia Cross, Michelle Blount and Kelly Kearns also had five kills each. Amy Rosenbaum led the Dawgs in assists with 14 and Kenya Williams added 11.
Blount, Moore, Rosenbaum and Williams were named to the all-tournament team from Cove and O'Terrica Mathis and Kara Babola were named to the all-tournament team from Connally.
"I really do not like all-tournament teams," Lowery said. "Four people can't win a tournament for you. Everyone had to do their job. Everyone did and progressed as the tournament went along. And that is what it is going to take to be a championship team."
Things went so smoothly for Cove, the championship game ended 30 minutes before it was even slated to begin – 5:15 and 5:45 p.m. In fact, they did not drop a single game the entire tournament.
Cove's emergence into a volleyball program was most visible, though, by the strength of its junior varsity squad, which played the tournament as Cove's varsity B team, and finished fourth.
The B-team team lost the consolation game 26-24, 18-25 and 25-16 to Austin Hyde Park Baptist.
"That (depth) is the difference between having a winning season and having a program," Lowery said. "I think we are a program now and it does not happen overnight."
Although, sometimes that depth can create awkward situations. In the semifinals, Cove met a familiar opponent – its B team,
And the B team almost won, going up 8-4 in the first game. In the end, the varsity squad showed its experience and why they are on the team. They won 25-19 and 25-8.
"I don't like that," Lowery said. "It is kind of a no-win because if your JV is to beat you, it puts you in a bad position."
Cove started the day dispatching Rockdale for the second time in the tournament. They had met earlier in pool play with the Dawgs winning 25-11 and 25-11. This time Cove won 25-15 and 25-10.
"I think every first game as more of a game than Game 2," Lowery said. "Once we got our momentum going we took over."
Cove faces Burnet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bulldawg Gymnasium.
"We still are not where I want us to be, but it is still the second week," Lowery said. "If we were, there would be nowhere to go but down."
Contact Nick Talbot at ntalbot@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7569.
Sunday, August 16
Cove opens tourney 4-0 Posted On: Friday, Aug. 14 2009 05:23 AM By Nick Talbot
Killeen Daily Herald
Simply dominant. The Copperas Cove volleyball team swept through its compeition with ease Thursday.
The Lady Dawgs went 4-0 at its inaugural Cove vollyeball tournament sweeping Mcgregor (25-5, 25-8)
Rockdale (25-11, 25-11), Alvarado (25-8, 25-7) and Hyde Park (25-11, 25-5).
"We played pretty well, but the other teams played better when they played each other," said Cove coach Cari Lowery. "They just fell apart when they played us."
A main reason was the strong serve of the Lady Dawgs.
Phyllica Cross smacked 11 aces against McGregor and then sophomore Amy Rosennbaum took over.
The Cove setter had six aces against Rockdale, nine against Alvarado and eight against Hyde Park. At one point, Rosenbaum served for 18 straight points against Hyde Park.
She also had 44 assists in the four games.
A second reason was shear size. Michelle Blount, Amber Moore and Kelly Kearns dominated the front line for the Lady Dawgs throughout the tournament.
Blount had four solo blocks against Rockdale and six kills against Hyde Park.
Moore had six kills against Rockdale and added eight digs. Kearns had five kills against McGregor.
Copperas Cove has a bye Saturday to open bracket play and will play the winner of Rockdale and Johnson City at 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 16
Lady Dawgs sweep Kerrville Tivy Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 12 2009 04:15 AM From Staff Reports
COPPERAS COVE – Copperas Cove volleyball coach Cari Lowery said her team was erratic Tuesday.
One just could not tell it from the score. The Lady Bulldawgs swept Kerrville Tivy 25-15, 25-21 and 25-19 at Copperas Cove Gymnasium.
"We played a little inconsistent tonight" Lowery said. "It was still Game 2 and we are still trying to find our rhythm. There were moments of great play, but also moments of bad play."
One person who was consistent was Amy Rosenbaum. The sophomore setter led the team with 18 assists and two aces, but also was second on the team to Kelly Kearns in kills. Rosenbaum had eight, while Kearns had nine.
Amber Moore led the team with 25 digs and added in five kills. Cove was led in blocks by Jessica Williams who had three solo blocks and two assist blocks. Michelle Blount had two solo and five assists.
"Tivy is a tough team," Lowery said. "They are real strong defensively and do not let the ball hit the ground."
The Lady Dawgs return to action Thursday in their inaugural Copperas Cove Tournament.
TUESDAY'S HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Copperas Cove def. Kerrville Tivy, 25-15, 25-21, 25-19
