Volleyball Game Preview: John Paul II Cardinals vs. Lovejoy Leopards

The John Paul II Cardinals will be taking part in a tournament against the Lovejoy Leopards at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

John Paul II gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over Corsicana.

While John Paul II won a shutout, things came down to the wire in the second set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-10, 25-22, 25-13.

Ashley Keith

Digs (Career)

08/12/25 vs Corsicana	6
10/22/24 @ Legacy Christian Academy	5
09/12/24 vs Nolan Catholic	5
10/08/24 @ Bishop Lynch	4
10/24/24 vs Bishop Lynch	3

John Paul II's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Summer Hodge, who had six digs and three aces, and Ashley Keith, who had six digs and one assist. Those six digs gave Keith a new career-high.

Meanwhile, Lovejoy beat Wakeland 3-1 on Tuesday.

Lovejoy got the W, but it wasn't easy, at least in the first set. The final score came out to 31-29, 25-18, 18-25, 25-12.

John Paul II came up short against Lovejoy in their previous matchup back in August of 2019, falling 2-0. Can the Cardinals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.