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NL girls, Lady Cats square off one more time
Brent Wilburn
The Paris News
Published October 31, 2008
In sports, it is always nice to have tune-ups.
That is why spring training and exhibition games exist in Major League Baseball, and that is why the National Football League has its standard four-game stretch prior to the beginning of the regular season.
And although today’s 5 p.m. volleyball match at Prairiland between North Lamar and Paris is a requirement in order for the second and third playoff seeds to be determined from District 10-3A, North Lamar head volleyball coach Jimmy Fendley wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“We wanted to play a warm-up match anyway, so who would be better to play than Paris?” Fendley asked.
Paris head coach Melanie Hodges said that while she wouldn’t have scheduled a warm-up match prior to the playoffs, she still feels that there is a lot to gain in a high-stakes atmosphere before the playoffs start.
“The stands will be full, and it will be tense,” Hodges said. “That atmosphere will definitely help us prepare for the playoffs,” Hodges said.
The two squads have been eerily similar this season. That’s most obvious by their mirrored district records this season (both were 7-3). North Lamar (24-14) has the slight edge over Paris (22-13) in the overall ledger, but the difference is so small that it’s almost negligible.
“It’s a good match-up,” Fendley said. “We match up pretty evenly across the board. They have good hitters and blockers, and we have good hitters and blockers.”
To advance the idea of the similarities between the two squads, look no further than the previous meetings between the teams during the regular season.
The Pantherettes squeaked out a four-game victory over the Lady Cats in a highly-contested match at Panther Gym during the first meeting between the teams this season.
The second clash was even more compelling than the first. The Lady Cats took the victory on their home court after notching two straight points in a 13-13 fifth-game tie to win the final game 15-13.
Today’s match will carry even more weight than the first two contests because this one will determine each team’s fate in the playoffs.
But the stakes are certainly raised because the match will be Part 3 of the 2008 Lamar County Showdown.
Fendley desired to have this game so his team could have one more chance to improve against quality competition prior to the playoffs.
His wish has now been granted, and both teams will be vying for the second place slot.
“That’s as close as you can come to matching the intensity of a playoff game,” Fendley said. “It’s always a big game.”
The winner today will likely play Celina and the other will likely play Argyle, the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from District 9-3A. But after today’s match, both teams will have definite playoff roads and will have experience against quality playoff competition.
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