Looking to bounce back from a crushing loss last week, the Bowie volleyball team showed great defensive awareness and excellent hitting as they were able to top Austin three sets to one (25-13, 24-26, 25-18, 25-19) for the second time this season and pick up their third win in district play.

“Overall, I think one thing that helped us win was having fun while playing. That helped us keep a strong mentality throughout the game no matter what the score was. This win was extremely important for us to have a closer step towards playoffs,” Lourdes Chico said.

The Bears opened the first set with a 6-2 run, before Austin slowly came back into the set as Bowie kept the lead at 12-10. A 13-3 run sparked by hard-hitting and defensive momentum helped the Bears roll to a 25-13 win to take the first set.

The second set was a strong set for Austin, as they found holes in Bowie’s defense to attack and take the lead at 15-6. After more communication between the players, the Bears leaped on a 18-9 run to even the second set at 24-24. Austin would come out on top of the second set 26-24, however the momentum would stay in Bowie’s favor for the next set.

“The energy and how all of the girls were after that set helped us get back to our full potential for the next set,” Nataly Herrera said.

The third set started with a 8-3 Bears run, before Austin tied the set at 9-9. The Bears sparked a 7-2 run to take the lead 16-11. The attack showed to be too much for Austin to handle, as the Bears rallied to take the third set 25-18.

“We had to keep pushing each other, finish hard and encourage each other to win. We talked to each other and stayed focused and that’s what helped us come together as a team,” Jovanna Salinas said.

Bowie took an early 6-3 lead in the fourth set. Continuing to show a strong attacking game, the Bears extended their lead to 17-10. While Austin came close to coming back in the set, the Bears communication on defense was key as they were able to hold them off and win the fourth set 25-19, and the game three sets to one.

“The teamwork was great, everybody played a great game, we were attacking the ball more, which is what we need, and the girls were all working together. It just gives us a lot of confidence going forwards, and we can continue to play together, and they see their potential,” head coach Lourdes Balderrama said.

The Bears will look to keep the momentum in their favor as they will take on the Burges Mustangs Oct. 5, at Burges High School.