Lake Belton Bronco volleyball welcomed the Ellison Lady Eagles to the court Friday night for a hard-fought matchup. The Broncos celebrated Staff Appreciation Night, but the festivities quickly shifted into a battle once the opening serve went up.

Lake Belton struggled to find its rhythm in the first set, as untimely errors in key moments kept the Broncos from climbing out of an early deficit. The Broncos dropped the opening set, 15-25.

The home crowd saw a much more determined Bronco squad in the second set. Lake Belton battled point-for-point with the Lady Eagles, but Ellison managed to edge the Broncos, 23-25, and take a 2-0 lead.

Refusing to let the match slip away, the Broncos responded with grit and energy in the third set. Lake Belton controlled the momentum and secured a 25-20 victory, keeping the match alive. However, the comeback fell short as Ellison closed out the final set, 13-25.

Kaleileana Cress led the Broncos offensively with 10 kills, followed by Ava Wood with seven. Kamryn Daniels orchestrated the offense with 26 assists while also contributing 12 digs. Haylee Kasner matched Daniels with 12 digs, while Kristen Morales added 10 digs defensively.

The Broncos will look to bounce back Tuesday night when they return home to face district opponent Harker Heights.