No team ever wants or expects to go through the struggles the Lake Travis softball team did this year.

But not every team keeps plugging away with the belief that things will get better, either.

At the very least, the Lady Cavaliers (3-26, 1-9) can say they kept fighting.

It would have been easy to roll over in district play and watch the whole slate go by without a win. That didn’t happen.

Low on numbers to begin with, Lake Travis wasn’t handed any favors when starting pitcher Chayla Morgan went down with an injury, and no one with any substantial pitching experience was available. But they made it work.

The seniors could have thrown their hands in the air and just played the season out, disregarding the example set for the rest of the team. But Sarah DeKay, Courtney Dowell and Megan Peters did just the opposite.

“Watching the seniors step up and lead this group with their dedication, commitment and work was one of the best parts of the season,” Lake Travis head coach Wendy Saenz said. “They knew what kind of work it takes to get better, and they were a great example of that every practice and every game.”

And it wasn’t just the seniors that made the year memorable for the Saenz.

“Watching the girls grow from the first day and then day-to-day. Watching them grow closer as a team and as friends. That’s always the best part for any coach, watching the change in the kids and being a part of it,” she said. “It’s been amazing watching players dive for balls in the outfield and make the catch, or watching them crash into the outfield wall and catch it then. Seeing them learn how to turn a double play and getting it done. Just watching them evolve in each of their own ways. Every player had another step to take in her development, and it was great seeing that happen.”

It hasn’t been easy to rest on those laurels, but there hasn’t been much of a choice in the matter.

“We always say it’s in the valleys that we grow, and we were definitely in the valleys all year,” Saenz said. “We made the most of that, and I think we really made progress. I was proud of each of the girls for how far each of them progressed.”

But for the players returning, the progression can’t go on hiatus until next winter. Saenz has stressed that it’s imperative that each player continues to improve if they want any hope of improving that record in the coming years.

“Making sure the girls work hard in the offseason, not only developing skills for softball, but also developing as athletes overall,” Saenz said. “That’s workouts, summer ball and whatever else it takes to get better.”

The good news is there’s a solid core of seniors-to-be returning, and it will hopefully help carry the team to the next level.

“It’s great to have Kasey Miller and Stephanie Lang coming back with their numbers, but the whole group with Chayla Morgan, Cristina Parks and Sammie Zonona – they’re all going to be important. They’ll do a great job because they’ve paid their dues and they know they’re ready.”