Lampasas volleyball coach Tracey Myers figured it was better to be safe than sorry when scheduling last Friday's game against Rogers.

Instead of starting her team's match against the Eagles at the usual time of 6 p.m., Myers moved it ahead an hour and a half. The earlier match ensured there would be enough time to travel across town and witness the Badgers football team kick off their first home game of the season at 7:30 p.m.

Turns out, the schedule change was unnecessary.

It took Rogers just over an hour to defeat the Lady Badgers in three sets, easily winning 25-7, 25-13 and 25-12.

"I wouldn't have ever normally [scheduled a 4:30 start], but it just happened to work," Myers said. "We wanted to support the football team."

While the loss was disappointing, Myers feels her squad is improving despite its record.

"Tonight I felt like we did some really good things even if the score didn't show it," Myers said. "Tonight we took a step forward, we still have some steps to go, but we're moving in the right direction."

Namely, Myers is pleased with her team's improvements in hitting and setting, but remaining focused when facing difficult situations continues to plague her squad.

In the opening moments of the match, the Lady Badgers fell behind 7-1, 16-3 and 21-4. Then in the following set Rogers jumped out to leads of 8-2 and 17-5.

The match concluded with Rogers scoring 10 consecutive points after Lampasas pulled within three points.

According to Myers, Rogers' fast start left the Lady Badgers reeling.

"We mentally lost our focus," she said. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole, and it's too hard to get out of those against a good team."

While Lampasas led only briefly at the beginning of the third set, it kept the score close until Rogers made the final match-clinching run.

The small rally gives Myers confidence that her inexperienced team has the mental fortitude to emerge from large deficits.

"The players themselves are starting to see it, and some are starting to believe they are capable of winning and playing good ball," the coach said.

"Once one gets it, then another one is going to get it, and I think that is a good sign."

The Lady Badgers are in the midst of a full week off from competitive action before they return to the court this Friday in Lampasas against Llano.

It is the first of a handful of matches that remain before the Lady Badgers open their district schedule Sept. 26 at Hutto.