El Dorado’s volleyball team started conference play last week against the top two teams in the 5A South. The Lady Wildcats, who were coming off their first win in nearly three years, got a bitter dose of reality with 3-0 losses to Hot Springs Lakeside and Benton.
El Dorado, which fell to 1-3 on the season, measured itself against elite programs. The Lady Wildcats still have work to do.
“I think the difference is experience. Here in El Dorado, the girls don’t really start playing until seventh grade. In Hot Springs, they’re playing in grades four and up,” said first-year coach Amber Reynolds after the Lakeside loss. “So, a lot of these girls have been playing together with each other for several years before they even made the middle school volleyball team. I think another next level for the program is starting the introduction of volleyball to that elementary level to where they’re growing up playing the game. We’re having to be a quick study at this point.”
Perhaps beating powerhouses wasn’t realistic this season. Reynolds was at least hoping her squad could be competitive, which it was, especially against Lakeside, the undefeated league champion a year ago.
Lakeside downed El Dorado 25-12, 25-18, 25-11 on Tuesday.
“I think this is one of the first times they’ve scored over 15 points against us,” said Lakeside coach Rhonda Thigpen. “I know Coach Reynolds. She’s aggressive and she’s got good skills. She’s got a good knowledge base and if they listen to her, which I watched some of those girls improve since last year. I think the program has been coming around. I know who they’ve had in the past. I think it’s been coming around. I think she’ll have a chance to keep on building it. She’s a wonderful role model for them.”
Reynolds said playing squads like Lakeside will help her program grow into something special.
“I think whenever you play against a team that has a seasoned coach, I mean, Rhonda Thigpen is legendary. So whenever you’re playing against a team that’s being prepared at a high level, and then you start to compete with them, you can see you’re just as good as them,” Reynolds said. “You are the same. It’s just whether or not you do the things you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do them - being consistent. I think if we can just continue to get to the point where we’re doing things on purpose every single time and everybody is doing their job, I think that’s when you’ll see us really turn that corner.”
The Lady Wildcats ran into a buzz-saw at Benton on Thursday and fell 25-7, 25-8, 25-9.
For El Dorado, even a tough road loss could be a step forward if lessons are learned. Each match that’s played, Reynolds hopes to, at least, take a baby step forward.
“This program is under construction and every game we play gives us another opportunity to make adjustments and grow,” she said after the loss at Benton.
El Dorado travels to Little Rock Hall on Tuesday and will host Hot Springs on Thursday.