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The Columbus Lady Cardinals playoff journey came to an end in the semi-finals of the State Tournament for the third straight year when they were defeated by the Gunter Tigers on Thursday, Nov. 16, in Garland.
The Lady Cards pushed the defending champions to their very limit but in the fifth and final set the Tigers were able to secure a victory and eliminate the Lady Cards.
“I just want to keep the spotlight on these girls for as long as I can, especially the seniors because they will be missed so much,” Lady Cards head coach Kayley Johns said while wiping away a tear.
The Lady Cards seniors played a big role in their comeback late in the fifth set and gave them a fighting chance. The Lady Cards went down 5-0 to start the fifth set forcing Johns to call timeout to settle things down for her team.
Led by the seniors, they quickly found a way back in the set and made things tight for the Tigers. The early lead proved to be too much for the Lady Cards to overcome though and the Tigers closed out the set, eliminating the Lady Cards.
“They played hard till the very end, and I am just so proud of these girls this season,” Johns said.
The first four sets were filled with intensity and every point caused a booming reaction from the crowd. The Lady Cards got off to a slow start dropping the first set 25-14, the seniors stepped up and got things back on track.
“They look up to us, we are the seniors on the team, so they look up to us and usually when we lose and come back to the huddle it is kind of quiet and sometimes, we have to yell at them,” senior setter Sage Thomas said, “We just have to get it in their heads and help them realize that the match is not lost, and we can still win the next set and be right back in it.”
After the pep talk from the seniors the Lady Cardinals won back-to-back sets to go up two sets to one. During those sets the Lady Cardinals were able to find their rhythm and took the game to the Tigers.
“We just played as a family and trusted each other,” Caylie Neisner said, “We all love each other, and we are all best friends, and you can see that on the court.”
The Lady Cardinals lost the fourth set setting the stage for an exciting end to the semi-final matchup. The Lady Cards did not come away with the outcome they wanted, they are still grateful for everything they got to experience this season.
“I am very upset, but it is not a mad feeling, it’s more of holding a grudge with yourself,” senior Ally Tribe said, “But we played great all season long as a team and bonded throughout the season, we got closer than the last two years too, we just fell short.”
The Lady Cardinals volleyball season has come to an end, but rest assured they will be back next season ready to get back to the big game.
