Kimball opened the 2011 volleyball season as if they intended to dominate the conference, drubbing rival Bridgeport in the first, 25-20.

Balancing Amber Kilgore and Annie McCloud’s killing attack with the defensive fortitude of Jamie Hansel and Darbi Klinkhammer, they bested a team that had swept them last year, often in decisive style.

Then reality crashed the party.

“In the second set we came out timid,” says Longhorns head coach Dani Shaw. “You’re not going to beat a good team like that.”

The Bulldogs romped to a 25-13 win, as Kimball seemed to play on their heels, a step behind the fluid visitors build up. Offensively they turned to less assertive tip and roll style.

Yet the ‘Horns fought back in the third before eventually falling by a score of 25-20. The last set saw a deflated team meander to a 25-16 loss.

Although hardly pleased by the result, Shaw sees some promise in the night. The staunchly right-handed Kilgore switched suddenly and popped the ball--accurately--with her left for the first time anyone can recall. Defensively, Hansel and Klinkhammer played steadily in the back.

“The girls came out and surprised people,” Shaw explains. “They are learning to adjust on the go.”

After one night of less than stellar ball, Shaw is convinced her lineup is right, despite racking up 25 attack errors and a service percentage in need of some work. The opener and the third set revealed a team capable of executing on offense and organizing quickly against attacks.

“We just need to become more consistent,” she says.