By Coach Lonnie Flippen, VISD
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. It looked like the Junior High Lady Pirates had everything well in hand when the volleyball season began only to find that they would be down to five players. The UIL granted Valentine ISD special consideration because of limited enrollment, and with the approval of the other area schools, Valentine would be allowed to play with five young ladies.
On Thursday, September 7, Valentine hosted a dual meet with Grand Falls and Marfa. The Lady Pirates played extremely well against both teams. The Grand Falls Cowgirls managed to defeat the Pirates in two games by a score of 25 to 23 and 25 to 17. Grand Falls went on the defeat the Marfa Lady Shorthorns as well.
The Lady Pirates then took on the Shorthorns and stood up well against their 8th grade team beating them in the first game 25 to 23 and then falling to them by a score of 27 to 25 in the second game. Marfa then won the third game by a score of 16 to 14. With only five players on the floor, the Pirates are required to give up a point in each rotation as their “invisible” (official’s terminology) player was in position to serve. Without that situation, the Pirates probably would have won one game against the Grand Fall’s team and would have won one, if not both of the other two games, against Marfa.
Valentine ISD and the community are very proud of these young ladies and their effort. Team members include 8th graders, Mickie Siddiq and Bela Oldham, 7th grade girls are Jordan Miller and Isabell Guillory, and one 6th grader in Claudia Figueroa.
