With the playoffs right around the corner, the volleyball team (39-5 overall, 8-0 district) will be looking to finish up district and maintain their perfect record. The Leopards will be playing the Princeton Panthers (29-11 overall, 4-4 district) on Friday at home at 5:30 pm, before playing their last district game at home against the McKinney North Bulldogs (25-8 overall, 7-1 district) next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
“We are approaching with the goal of being district champions,” head coach Ryan Mitchell said. “We are focused on beating [McKinney North] and preparing to win a district title, and most importantly be playing our best volleyball over the next month or so.”
The game against McKinney North next week will once again be a top of the table clash, with the Leopards in first place, while the Bulldogs sit in second. McKinney North’s only loss in district this season was against Lovejoy in a 3-1 match two weeks ago.
“We are hoping to make a long run in the playoffs,” Mitchell said. “We are paying special attention to our conditioning, sleep, and overall health as we gear up for the playoff push.”
The Leopards beat the Sherman Bearcats 3-0 on tuesday in a home match. The Bearcats scored 42 kills in the game, compared to the 75 kills the Leopards scored to win the game. The match was also senior night, and so the team celebrated the seniors on the team, Mckenna Franks, Jentry Allen, Reagan Dowdall and Emma Johnson.
“Sherman was an awesome game as we had senior night and got to celebrate our four seniors,” Mitchell said. “It takes a lot to stay with this sport and stay committed over the years. It was really a great night celebrating them and their families for all of their hard work.”The team also played Denison last Friday in a home match, where they kept the Yellow Jackets to only 34 kills across three sets. The win helps boost Lovejoy to be ranked 17th in the nation and third in the state.
