THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
McAlester High School Athletics

McAlester ended a five-game skid Tuesday night and hopes that win will be start of a more positive streak. The Lady Buffaloes (2-6) swept Seminole Academy at Bob Brumley Gymnasium for their first win since a 3-2 win against Tulsa Memorial Aug. 20, also on their home court. McAlester volleyball coach Laurie Smith said after Tuesday's win that the Lady Buffs are a better team at home than on the road, but the team will have to wait until Sept. 17 for its next scheduled home game against Coweta. Smith thought her players were more comfortable at home, and some agreed that they feed on the energy that they get at the Bob Brumley Gymnasium. "The last few years, we haven't had a lot of people in the student section, and when we just have all those people cheering us on, it just gives us the self confidence we need to do what we know," junior Jada Rivas said. However, Smith said Lady Buffs have to get more comfortable on the road due to the heavy road schedule. She said having experience on the road and getting wins on the road will help McAlester get more comfortable away from home. She said the Lady Buffs are learning on their road games that they have to be mentally tough. Smith said they must adapt to the loud, busy environments that opposing gyms bring, and that the Lady Buffs must up their communication levels. Smith is expecting a big crowd for Thursday's game at Muskogee. She hopes the Lady Buffs will draw some fans of their own, too. The Lady Buffs will be facing a Lady Roughers team that they are familiar with. The two teams scrimmaged against each other this year, and met Aug. 23 during the Muskogee Tournament. The Lady Buffs fell, 25-7 and 25-8, in that match. Smith is expecting Muskogee to be fast paced and aggressive. She said the Lady Roughers play hard, fast, aggressive and "a lot to handle." The coach said that the previous encounters taught the Lady Buffs a lot. "We tend to know now where their hitters tend to swing and how they tend to swing in what situations," Smith said. Smith said Wednesday's practice focused defense and the Lady Buffs going as hard and as fast as she can push them for Thursday's pace. "They're going to come and they're going to bring some heat, but we're just going to have to fight hard and have good defense," junior Erin Wilkerson said. She said the positions have mostly been locked up, except for one. Smith said the Lady Buffs are rotating players for the left back position. The coach said sophomores Sadie Smith and Brooke Jacobs were competing for the first, and said Tuesday's game was the first time she traded her players in and out of the spot. Coach Smith had praise for both of them. She said Jacobs has the slight advantage as a passer, but said Sadie Smith makes up for that with her communication. "It's kind of a tough decision on who's going to go where," Coach Smith said. "I'm kind of hoping that one of them will get it all put together."

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
McAlester High School Athletics

MCALESTER GROWING CONFIDENT ON HOME COURT

COREY STOLZENBACH

McAlester News-Capital | 8/28/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Corey Stolzenbach