If Copperas Cove is ever in an offensive lull, it possesses the front-row firepower to get itself back on track at any moment. 

The Lady Bulldawgs slumped at times in their District 8-6A match at Killeen High on Tuesday night, but they were able to keep control at the net for the majority of the contest to defeat the Lady Kangaroos 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 25-11).

Seven different Cove players recorded kills in the match, including three — Aidan Chace, Chyanne Chapman and Brianna Acker — who tallied 11 apiece. The Lady Dawgs also registered 10 blocks as a team.

Chace finished the night with 19 assists, 11 kills and six digs. Afterward, she said she was very confident in her team’s ability up front no matter if she is hitting or setting.

“We have all these different hitters to choose from,” Chace said. “Knowing that we can put it in different places and can see in different holes, we are very confident in our hitting.”

But after taking a 1-0 match advantage with an impressive seven-point win in the opening set Tuesday, Cove (26-12, 6-1 8-6A) had its hands full in Set 2.

The two squads went back and forth until the tail end of the stanza. Down 21-18, two attack errors on the Lady Dawgs and two service aces by Jacen Moore gave Killeen a 22-21 lead.

Alia Vines then registered a kill off a set by Sadee Songer, and the Lady Roos were just two points away from tying the match at 1.

Cove responded in kind, however, with consecutive kills by Chace, Dazsa Braddock and Zari Chipman, and a block by Chace and Braddock capped off a 4-0 run to give the Lady Dawgs a 2-0 advantage in the contest.

But Killeen (19-14, 2-5) refused to go down without a fight.

The Lady Roos jumped out to a quick 10-3 cushion and led for most of the third set, as Songer, Vines, Moore and Tiara Joyner each recorded kills to spearhead the early run.

Cove clawed its way back and eventually tied it at 21. But two more aces by Moore and a kill by Vines boosted a 4-0 run by Killeen and allowed it to send the match to a fourth set.

But Cove’s imposing front row took complete control in Set 4 for a 14-point win and another league triumph.

Kiarrah Carlisle recorded a match-high 27 assists and 11 digs for the Lady Dawgs, and Madison Wasiak had 19 digs.

Cove head coach Cari Lowery was happy with the win but wants to see more consistency.

“We’re young,” Lowery said. “I have three sophomores on the floor and four other kids that are in their first year on varsity. We haven’t peaked yet, and we’re not even close to that.

“But I feel like it’s all going to click when it’s supposed to click, and we’re going to peak at the right time.”

Joyner led Killeen with 12 kills, followed by Vines with seven. Vines also added 15 digs to her ledger, Sethann Baker dished out 19 assists, and Janelle Etherly had 15 digs of her own.

Killeen head coach Joanne Knowles said the second and third sets should be proof to the Lady Roos that they can compete with great teams like the Lady Dawgs.

“They played really tough and came in tonight really wanting a win,” Knowles said. “They were focused on winning. But the fourth set, we just let them run away with it.

“We had a lot of communication errors tonight.”

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