'Gold Ball Chasing' Christoval Lady Cougars are Undefeated District Champs

CHRISTOVAL, TX — The Christoval Lady Cougars are district champions in volleyball for the first time ever.

At one point this season, the Lady Cougars volleyball team was 2-5 which is … not good. That is until you look at their opponents over that five-game losing streak and see teams like Wall and Brock. Both of those teams are ranked, by the way.

Since that five-game losing streak, the Lady Cougars have kicked it into high gear with a 25-3 record and undefeated run through district. 

Christoval volleyball coach Ashley Panter gives the players the glory.

“It feels great. The girls have worked super hard all season,” Panter said.

Christoval hasn’t had volleyball for long after starting the program in 2022. This year's team is also relatively young with three freshmen, two sophomores, four juniors and three seniors, meaning that the underclassmen were pushed into bigger roles.

“When I first came here three years ago, we had freshmen that had to step up, and they’ve done a great job.,” Panter said. “They’ve done a great job getting in here and learning the sport and taking leadership and moving the program in the right direction.”

The athletes certainly have put the work into making Christoval a threat. They were 4-21 just two years, then saw a big jump last year and went 17-19 before the breakthrough this season in which they're ranked No. 20 in the state in Class 2A.

Before they begin the playoffs next week, they'll have a warm-up match against Sonora on Saturday.

It would have been easy to take Christoval’s early losing streak and let that set the tone for the rest of the season. But the Lady Cougars knew those matches would make them a better team. Having a short memory is important, something Christoval works on every day.

“We do a lot of that in our program. Mental training is what I think any athlete can use in any moment in time,” said Panter. “We use a lot of it.”

It all comes back to the players taking their roles seriously. The three seniors, Hannah Maier, Ali Guins, and Emma Hopkins, really stepped up into those leadership roles for the team. But the other players have stepped up as well.

“Bostyn Jones, our libero, is stellar on the back row,” Panter said. “She’s a phenomenal leader for us as well. She’s kind of been in volleyball her whole life, and she’s done an amazing job.”

Freshman Kylie Panter leads the team in kills, Kennison Green leads in assists, and Jones leads in digs. Maier is important around the net and is one of the attacking threats, and Rylee Skinner can make an impact on both offense and defense. The whole team has taken it upon themselves to get the team where they are.

Jordyn Bruns, Brynnlee Carson, Paytin Weitner, Kenley Smith and Kimberly Earnshaw all add to keeping the team performing at a super high level and forcing opposing teams to pick their poison.

Out of their 10 district matches, they swept seven of them.

Christoval reached the playoffs for the first time last year before losing in five sets to Wink.

The Lady Cougars hope to make more program history this year with their first playoff trophy. They'll open the postseason at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, against Roscoe in Sterling City.

“Gold ball chasing, that’s what we’ve been saying,” Panter said. “Let’s get it.”