Mariah Jones sets a ball for middle hitter Madison Morris (2) during the Lady Badgers’ straight-set loss at Gatesville Tuesday. PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE The Lady Badgers earned this break.

Although the young season began less than a month ago, Lampasas’ varsity volleyball team was extremely active from the opening serve.

During the first 21 days of competition, the Lady Badgers played a total of 22 matches, including three tournaments.

The tolls of the rigorous schedule were visible in their match at Gatesville, where the Lady Hornets earned a straight-set victory on their home court to send Lampasas on a week-long vacation before playing at Little River Academy Tuesday.

Despite remaining within striking distance of Gatesville, which is ranked 12th in the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 3A poll, for a majority of the evening, the Lady Badgers could not provide the push needed to overtake the home team.

Senior Kendal Conner attempts a kill. While the energy might have been low, Lampasas head coach Beth Rutland knows the effort was not lacking.

“I felt like we fought the whole night,” the coach said of the 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 loss. “I didn’t feel like they ever mentally shut down, and in a tough game like that for them to keep fighting, [it is very telling]. There is some success in that.

“We were playing behind some, and we were right there in it some, but [in the end] Gatesville is just good.”

Before suffering a loss to Cameron Yoe last week, Gatesville was riding a 10-match winning streak and was ranked fourth in Class 3A.

The Lady Hornets were determined to get back to their winning ways against Lampasas.

After falling into a four-point deficit at 9-5, Gatesville rallied to tie the opening set at 16-16 and then cruised to victory on a 9-2 run.

Junior Tealey Farquhar delivers a back-row kill while Laura Leavell (13) looks on. In the second set, the Lady Hornets scored seven of the first nine points and quickly built a 16-7 lead.

Lampasas responded by taking five of the next six points, but Gatesville recovered and won the set by eight points, 25-17.

“We had make a major lineup adjustment in the second game and it took us awhile to get that figured out,” Rutland said.

In the third set, Lampasas fell behind 3-0 before junior Tealey Farquhar served the Lady Badgers to five consecutive points.

But the Lady Hornets would not stop swarming and scored six of the next seven points before the two teams began trading points.

Leading 13-12, Gatesville (19-4) pulled away with a 12-7 run to win the match in straight sets.

While the final result was disappointing, Rutland believes the Lady Badgers should be proud of the effort as they enter their break.

“If we had played terrible, it would have been a long week before we went to play Little River Academy,” the coach said. “But I think we can build on this.

“We just have to find a way to push through and win when the game is on the line.”

With the hectic opening stretch behind them, the Lady Badgers will have plenty of time to make adjustments before district play begins.

Lampasas (11-11) opens district competition Sept. 24 against Liberty Hill. Only five matches, however, separate the Lady Badgers from their district schedule, which includes Class 3A’s ninth-best team in Salado and Llano, a team tied for 15th in the state polls.

“I look at a match like this [against Gatesville] as the exact type of match we need to prepare for in district,” Rutland said. “We have to have attitude, focus and hustle [to succeed in district].”