A new bar was set for the Duncan volleyball program this season as the Lady Demons set a school record with 24 wins. With everyone returning next season, Duncan should be in good shape to venture into new frontiers.
The season ended in disappointing fashion as the Lady Demons dropped their first game in the regional tournament. The setback did not define the season, it only laid the foundation for next season as Duncan will be hungry to make noise in the playoffs.
“We want to get to the state tournament and win,” Duncan coach Randi Pawpa said. “That’s our main goal and the girls expect to be there.
“We should be able to really progress with what we can do as far as sets and take it to the next level. In the preseason, we will work on tougher sets and tougher hits. We want to push them harder.”
Duncan’s success seemingly came out of nowhere this season.
The Lady Demons dropped their first two games to Cement and Big Pasture before turning it around at the Cameron University Tournament.
“They went out with the mindset to win it and they did,” Pawpa said. “They had the mindset, they just didn’t put it all together from the start.”
Part of the reason for the early struggles was the youth and inexperience of the team. The Lady Demons only had one returning starter from the 2008 campaign and did not have the benefit of a senior on the team.
What the team did have was athleticism and chemistry. The season was not a week old before Duncan began to play to its capability and exceed expectations.
“I really expected us to make mental mistakes because we were so young,” Pawpa said. “But they did not play like they were young.
“It was rewarding to coach this group. It’s easy to coach girls that are all about the team and do well in the classroom.”
Numbers were down in the program this season but with everyone returning, Pawpa expects to have more participation at the sub-varsity level. One side benefit of being limited in athletes was that there was plenty of playing time to go around.
“We wound up with 16 from freshmen through high school but we didn’t expect to have a large group because we graduated seven and didn’t have a lot of incoming freshmen,” Pawpa said. “It benefited the younger kids because they got to play a lot. We have another small freshman class coming in. I am expecting six to eight if we are lucky.”
Pawpa expects the schedule to remain the same for the most part next season. The Lady Demons play a varied array of opponents, ranging from Cement to Lawton High School.
Duncan does not play many teams that it faces in the playoffs but the veteran coach does not expect that to be a hindrance.
“The schedule will pretty much remain the same,” Pawpa said. “We will play in the same three tournaments. We play enough teams to get ranked and stay ranked.”
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Michael Pineda
Breaking through
Duncan volleyball team looks to take the next step in 5A
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Demons rout Altus
After a tough loss on the road last Friday night against Lawton MacArthur, it seemed the Duncan Demons needed a boost to get themselves going for the last week of the season. DHS had its sights set on using the Altus Bulldogs as the tool for their motivation Tuesday night at Duncan Gymnasium.
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Lady Outlaws smother Rush Springs, 38-28
It wasn’t one of Marlow’s best offensive performances of the season. Luckily it was one of the Lady Outlaws best defensive showings.
For only the third time this season, Marlow held an opponent to fewer than 30 points and the Lady Outlaws topped the visiting Rush Springs Lady Redskins, 38-28. -
Culberson, DHS hold off Lady Bulldogs
There is a saying, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” For the Duncan Lady Demons, a rematch against Altus at Duncan Gymnasium on a chilly evening seemed like the perfect motivation to help DHS avoid a two-game losing streak Tuesday night.
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Duncan hosts Altus tonight
ometimes it’s not how hard you fall, it’s how fast you get back up.
After a tough overtime loss Friday night at Lawton MacArthur, the No. 14 Duncan Lady Demons (14-7) will look to rebound this evening against the No. 11 Altus Lady Bulldogs (12-6) with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m. from Duncan Gymnasium. -
Bray hands Turner its first loss
The Bray-Doyle Lady Donkeys picked up one last shot of momentum Monday night before heading into the Class A district tournament.
The Lady Donkeys took control early and never let up, topping previously unbeaten Turner, 68-51 at home on senior night to finish the regular season on a five-game winning streak. -
Velma-Alma rolls Healdton, 52-36
Make it six in a row for the Velma-Alma Lady Comets.
Senior Night proved to be quite beneficial for V-A thanks to a strong second half, which broke open a close game, giving the Lady Comets a 52-36 victory over the Healdton Lady Bulldogs. -
UNTARNISHED
Monday night saw the No. 4 Velma-Alma Comets send a clear message to the rest of the field in the playoffs: The road to Oklahoma City will run through Velma, one way or another.
V-A wasted no time in dismantling the Healdton Bulldogs on Senior night, as the Comets finished the regular season 23-0, thanks to a 72-12 victory. -
Encore Performance
Just like four years ago, Eli Manning and the Giants orchestrated an impressive late fourth-quarter drive to overtake the lead and the Patriots couldn’t answer in the final minute, handing the Super Bowl championship to the New York, 21-17 on Sunday night.
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Carletti-Silva commits to Army
Duncan High School senior quarterback Brandon Carletti-Silva has given a verbal commitment to the United States Military Academy — better known in the sports world as Army — and plans to make his decision official on Wednesday.
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Comets try to complete regular season perfection
Throughout the season, V-A has defied the odds, beating every team set in their way, resulting in a perfect 22-0 record.
Tonight, the Comets will look to finish their regular season unblemished as they host Healdton (1-14) at 8:30 p.m. for Senior Night. - More Sports Headlines
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