HOGANSVILLE – Callaway High’s volleyball team continued its challenging early-season schedule by taking on Opelika and Hardaway at home on Wednesday, and it lost a pair of close matches.

In the day’s first match, Callaway took Opelika to three sets before falling short, and it lost in two sets to Hardaway.

Even though Callaway wasn’t able to enjoy a victory on Wednesday, head coach Heather Smith said it was still a valuable day.

“Even if the scoreboard doesn’t show that you won, there were positives,” was Smith’s message to the players. “We had great plays. We just have to put all the pieces together.”

In the day’s final match against Hardaway, Callaway lost the first set 25-21 and the second set 25-22.

In the second set, it was close for much of the way.

An ace by Alicia Marks pulled the Lady Cavaliers even at 9-9, and a kill by Cheney Eubanks gave the home team an 11-10 lead.

Callaway surged to a 15-13 lead, but Hardaway scored the next three points to take the lead.

Callaway tied it at 17-17, but Hardaway scored the next four points, and the lead was at least four the rest of the way.

Callaway will be at home again today against Shaw before returning to area play next week.

The Lady Cavaliers have played two area matches, and they’ve won them both.

“We’re 2-0 (in the area),” Smith said. “We’ll fully capable. We just have to do it.”

SOFTBALL: LaGrange High stepped out of the region to face home-standing Heard County on Wednesday, and it lost 9-1.

Te’a Winston had a hit and two walks for LaGrange, and she scored a run, and Lauren Kuerzi had a hit and an RBI.

Heard County, which finished with 13 hits, started quickly with five runs in the first inning, and the game ended after five innings because of the run rule.

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports