The Mineola Lady Jackets won the Hawkins Lady Hawks Volleyball Tournament last weekend. Mineola  won six consecutive matches to take the crown.

Last Thursday, the Lady Jackets dispatched West Rusk (25-19, 25-16), Gladewater (25-11, 25-23) and Gary (25-10, 25-14). In Saturday’s winning bracket, they defeated Ore City (25-7, 25-8) and West Rusk (25-18, 25-9), and in the title game, Hawkins (25-17, 27-25).

For those unable to make it to Hawkins to catch the action, the Lady Jackets had scheduled Frankston to a stand-alone match on late Friday afternoon. That match, which Mineola won (25-15, 25-22, 25-14) gave plenty of evidence as to why this Lady Jacket team is looking at a bright season.

Five points into the Frankston match, Coach TaShara Everett left no doubt about what she expected from her side. She shouted, “Stop looking at each other, play!”

That exhortation came after a momentary lapse in concentration in the defensive game. The Lady Jackets then went on a bit of a tear and built a 14-7 lead. 

What is most interesting about the Lady Jackets early season success has been that everyone contributes. In game one against Frankston, it was Jocelyn Whitehead and Gracie Finley. 

In game two, Shylah Kratzmeyer got the Lady Jackets out of the blocks with a consistently good – and tough to handle – service turn. After Frankston staged a mid-game comeback, it was the offensive skill of Olivia Hughes and the net activity of Mylee Fischer which carried the team. 

And so it goes. The team is able to be rallied by any team member. That is a unique and uncommon characteristic in scholastic volleyball. For this year’s Lady Jackets it might just make all the difference.