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# Lady Hawks Take Second at Shelby Preseason Tournament
- URL: https://hlsports.news/lady-hawks-take-second-at-shelby-preseason-tournament/
- Published: 2026-08-31T03:05:17.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-31T03:05:17.000Z
- Author: Chad Smith

The CJI Lady Hawks kicked off their 2026 volleyball season with a strong showing at the Shelby Preseason Tournament.

The action began Thursday with the C squad and JV team taking the court. Both teams performed well throughout the day and gained valuable early-season experience.

Friday and Saturday belonged to the varsity tournament, where CJI was the only Class C team in attendance. The Lady Hawks finished third coming out of pool play, with their only loss coming against Townsend.

Tournament play began with CJI facing Glasgow in the opening round. The Lady Hawks defeated Glasgow to advance to the semifinals, where they faced host Shelby. CJI came out strong and defeated Shelby in two sets, earning a spot in the championship match and a rematch with Townsend.

After falling to Townsend earlier in pool play, the Lady Hawks were excited for another opportunity. Townsend took the first set, but CJI battled back to win the second and force a deciding third set.

The Lady Hawks jumped ahead in the third and looked poised to finish the comeback, but Townsend battled back late. In a match that came down to the final points, Townsend edged CJI by just one, giving the Lady Hawks a second-place finish.

Coach Miller said one of the biggest positives from the weekend was the team’s defensive effort. “I was really excited about how well we played defense,” Miller said. “We had multiple kids hitting the floor and getting a lot of balls up, which gave us opportunities to put the ball down on the other side. We still have plenty of things to work on throughout the year, but I loved the effort they brought both days.”

The strong preseason showing has the Lady Hawks excited about what is ahead this season. CJI will get another opportunity to face Townsend on October 3 at the Jefferson Tournament. Until then, the Lady Hawks turn their attention to their home opener against Winifred this weekend and are ready to get the 2026 season rolling in front of the home crowd.