The Lake Travis volleyball team has had an impressive run throughout much of the pre-district schedule. The Lady Cavs held a 22-7 record before Tuesday night’s scheduled match against Lehman, and are in prime position heading into the district opener at Marble Falls on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.

“I think our preseason has been filled with steady improvement. I’ve watched film from Cedar Park and most recently Westwood, and you can see how different a team we are now,” Lake Travis head coach Julie Green said. “I really think we’re fine-tuning and getting better from game-to-game, and they girls each find ways to improve, and that’s all you’re asking for.”

Lake Travis rolled over Del Valle last Friday, 25-8, 25-17 and 25-17, led by a solid all-around performance by Heather Leyva. It wasn’t surprising, as the senior has been markedly consistent not only this season, but throughout her varsity career, maintaining a constant presence on the front row. Levya had 10 kills and five aces in the match, and was joined by Mackenzie Smith, who also had five aces. Lani Durio had 17 assists, Meg Reesing had 12 digs and Meredith Murphy had 10 digs.

The team has managed to keep a constant level of intensity on the floor, despite playing in a two-week stretch with little to play for. The games hold no bearing on the playoffs and there haven’t been any tournaments since the Lady Cavs finished second at Hays.

“Mentally we’re ready to go into district, so it’s been tough to get through the waiting period between tournaments and the start of the games that really matter,” Green said.

That doesn’t mean they haven’t gotten the most out of the time, though.

“It’s been a great opportunity for us to work on small skills individually, and we can’t look at it as a disappointment because of the lack of weight in the games,” Green said. “We have to look at it as an opportunity to clean things up before district begins.”

But the reality for the team at this point is that there isn’t a whole lot that needs to be fixed. Small improvements here and there, but the team has no major flaws, and a number of strengths.

“I think our serve receive is the best part of our game, it helps spark our defense and of course starts everything for the offense,” Green said. “I think when we struggle with that, everything else struggles. But the girls are good at understanding that it’s just that one problem that’s creating a lot of other problems, and they correct it without getting overwhelmed.”

The chemistry on the floor is the biggest reason the team is able to succeed, turning small rallies into stretches of dominance. But in the end, the team has been able to match up well with almost everyone its played, thanks to an excellent balance.

“The girls are used to who they’re playing with and our rotations are really solid,” Green said. “All of our hitters had seven or more kills in the Tivy game, which, to me is impressive because we’re not a team you can just shut down if you zone in on one big hitter. We’re really pretty balanced, and on any given night, we may have a new kill leader.”

It’s also made any egos that may have existed disappear. There’s only one thing that matters to every player on the floor – the end result.

“I think our setters are smart enough to realize that maybe a great hitter isn’t having a good night, and they know they need to move the ball around,” Green said. “The whole team is really good about making sure it’s all about the win.”

The Lady Cavs don’t have the easiest road in the district, particularly because Hutto will provide a stiff challenge for the district title. But the team has been through some tough competition thus far this season, and has come out better for it.

“The girls are really confident, I’m confident and we’re ready,” Green said.