The Calvary Lutheran Lady Lions moved around the court Tuesday night with some new-found confidence.
Calvary Lutheran remained unbeaten at home with a 25-7, 25-6 win against the North Callaway Lady Thunderbirds.
"That's the best I've seen them play against who we normally play on our normal schedule," Calvary Lutheran coach Nicole Murphy said. "I think this weekend had a lot to do with it."
The Lady Lions were winless in pool play Friday and Saturday in the Dig For Life Tournament at Cape Girardeau, but they turned around and won three straight matches to tie for third place in their 24-team division.
All three wins came against Class 3 programs, while Calvary Lutheran's semifinal loss was in three sets to Class 4 Seckman.
"Bracket play really amazed me," Murphy said. " To see them never give up and to see them keep fighting and be the only team out of our pool to make it that far can set a good tone for the rest of the season."
Abi Lagore opened Tuesday's match with a pair of kills for the Lady Lions. Lagore, a middle hitter who transferred to Calvary Lutheran this year, has been a key contributor early on for the Lady Lions.
"I like that she runs behind the setter a lot," Murphy said. "It's almost more natural to run behind the setter than in front. Sometimes you can't find that, so I think that's going to be a great addition."
Sarah Johnson reeled off seven straight service points - including two aces - to extended the Lady Lions' lead to 8-2 in the first set and Grace Smith finished the set with eight straight points.
In the second set, Lagore also had a run of eight straight service points.
"It's getting better, it's getting more consistent," Murphy said of her team's serving.
Calvary Lutheran had a balanced attack on the front line, getting a pair of kills late in the first set from Johnson, while Jaelyn Engelbrecht had a pair of kills toward the end of the second set.
Johnson led the Lady Lions with five kills, while Lagore finished with four and Engelbrecht added three.
"We're trying to spread the offense as much as possible," Murphy said. "'Keep it quick, keep it spread' is what I always tell the girls.
"We don't want to have a go-to (hitter). Everybody should be a go-to hitter on the front row. That's how we're going to beat bigger teams."
Murphy also appreciated the hustle and the pursuit on the ball she saw from her players.
Leading 17-7 in the first set, players were diving for loose balls to keep the volley alive. Kate Schlichting finished the point with a kill.
"Those girls love to be on the floor all the time," Murphy said. "Sometimes I have to tell them to stay on their feet because they love to dive after balls so much."
Smith finished with 12 assists for the Lady Lions and Bexten added six digs.
Another tough slate of matches is coming up next for Calvary Lutheran (8-2-2).
The Lady Lions play Thursday at Hermann, with the JV match starting at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity around 6 p.m. The Lady Bearcats finished third in the Class 2 state tournament last season.
On Friday, Calvary Lutheran hosts defending Class 3 state champion Helias. The JV match starts at 6 p.m. and the varsity will begin around 7 p.m.
"I'm definitely extra hopeful on top of my already high hopes," Murphy said. "I'm proud of this group of girls."
In Tuesday's JV match, Calvary Lutheran defeated North Callaway 25-17, 25-12 to improve to 3-1.