Boyd is still searching for its breakthrough victory, but the Lady Broncos came closer to putting together a complete match Thursday night against Lighthouse Christian.
The high school Lady Broncos battled throughout all three sets before falling 25-22, 25-22 and 25-20. The loss dropped Boyd to 0-11 overall and 0-8 in TSIAA play, while continuing a season where the young Lady Broncos have shown gradual improvement despite struggling to turn competitive stretches into victories.
Thursday was one of Boyd's most consistent efforts yet.
The Lady Broncos reached 20 points in every set and were within three points of Lighthouse in each of the first two. While serving and serve receive have been recurring obstacles for first-year coach Emily Davis' squad, Boyd was able to stay within striking distance throughout the night.
There were highlights that can give Boyd hope down the road. One of the biggest came on a diving attempt during the second set by sophomore Kariana Ferrell. She laid out to save a point, one Boyd finished with an emphatic hit as the gym erupted in cheers.
In both the final two sets, Boyd held leads at the 10- and 15-point marks, but just couldn’t seem to string together enough serves and big hits to push over the top.
The middle school Lady Broncos came even closer to leaving with a victory.
Boyd won 25-16 in the opening set before falling in the second 25-20 to force a deciding third. The Lady Broncos pushed Lighthouse all the way to the finish before ultimately falling 15-13.
"The whole team worked incredibly hard tonight," said coach Kenny Chisam. "They came out strong, won the first match, and fought hard all the way through three matches. They fell just two points short in the final match, but they never gave up and continued to battle for every point."
While Chisam's Lady Broncos couldn't follow Tuesday's victory over Lancaster Christian with another win, he saw plenty he hopes his team can carry forward.
"Their teamwork, communication, hustle and determination were on full display," said Chisam. "If they continue to play with this kind of heart and intensity for the rest of the season, I truly believe there are great things ahead for this team."
The loss moved the Boyd Middle School team to 3-7. Chisam wants his team to use the narrow defeat as another building block during a season where the Lady Broncos have continued to grow.
"Keep fighting for every ball, keep trusting your teammates, keep practicing, and keep pushing yourselves to get better," said Chisam. "Tonight showed what you're capable of. Now let's build on it."
