Cinco Ranch used a combination of precise passing and strong outside hitting to play nearly mistake-free on August 16, dismantling a good Spring Branch Memorial team in an impressive sweep, 25-12, 25-18 and 25-18.

Cougars coach Danielle Wells said she hoped the game was a sign of things to come, noting that her squad looked notably sharper than its defeat just three days earlier, when it lost a five-game match to Klein. In the win, the Cougars, who have won eight of their first 11 games of the season, were led by senior outside hitter and captain Danyle Courtley, who had 18 kills and an ace.

“Obviously, she's a dominant hitter on our team and she definitely brings a lot of power,” Wells said. “She had a great game, and she's a dynamic hitter who can hit from anywhere on the court. Outside, inside, the center of the court. She's also really smart, but we're trying to work on her being a little more strategic.”

That sort of tactical volleyball was on display for the final point of the match. Cinco Ranch held a 24-15 lead but gave up three straight points with a combination of Courtley and reserves on the floor. Wells took a timeout and Courtley said her coach and teammates told her to hit a soft ball to the back-line instead of trying to power through blocking Memorial players.

“My teammates are good about that, and they tell me to find the open spot,” Courtley said of the game's final play. “Obviously, there were three blockers up, so I had an open strip in the back.”

“She's definitely very coachable and gets the job done,” Wells said of Courtley. “She's grown a lot. She's been on varsity since her freshman year. All three of my captains have.”

Fellow captain and senior Madalyn O'Brien, who finished with 11 kills, was part of a formidable front line with Courtley and junior Kayla Griebl rotated up front with the two. Griebl had nine kills. The attacks were set up by senior Aislan Lennon — the team's third captain — and junior Hayley Byrd, playing as the libero. Juniors Eva Fitzgerald and Brooke Hirsch combined for five assists.

Courtley said there wasn't any real secret technique or thought process when it came to the team's accuracy on hitting.

“It's just practice, lots of practice,” she said, laughing.

Wells pointed to the team's depth and experience as strong points, especially early in the year when other teams are struggling with cohesion. The Cougars have 11 seniors and five juniors on the roster, with the lone underclassman — freshman Courtney O'Brien — coming from an experienced volleyball family.

“We've been talking a lot about playing together,” Wells said. “Do your role, do your job, and then let others do their job, and when everyone does their job together, it looks great. Now when one person is trying to take the game into their hands, it's not going to work.”

Against Memorial, Cinco Ranch played long stretches of error-free volleyball, starting in the first set. At 9-7, Cinco scored the next nine points to take a commanding 18-7 lead, with Courtley and Madalyn O'Brien contributing four and two kills, respectively, during the streak.

The second set, Memorial managed to take a three-point lead at various points, but the Cougars again put the game out of reach six-point run, flip-flopping a 12-11 deficit to a 17-12 lead. In the second and third sets, Wells liberally used her bench, as different players worked in and out of the lineup.

“Tonight definitely showed that we worked on that [teamwork] versus some of the other games we've had, that they've really taken that to heart,” Wells said, adding that going forward, that would be their emphasis — setting teammates up with the perfect pass, knowing how to cover when someone defended the net, and other positioning.

“I think it's just the final meshing,” Wells said. “There are little things here and there that are going to get better. Our serving has got to get a little bit better, but tonight was a great improvement.”

Courtley said the team has high goals this year, based on their time together and their knowledge of each other’s skills. Cinco Ranch made it to the regional semifinals last year.

“We would like to go really far in the playoffs, and maybe even go to state,” she said. “That's what we've been working toward. It's our senior year, and we're ready for it and excited.”