Volleyball team retains lower state crown
By Brandon Muniz
One championship might be a fluke, two might be a strong run, but three is nothing short of a dynasty. The volleyball team acquired this dynastic status by winning their third consecutive Lower State Championship.
In 2010, the volleyball team went 35-1 on their way to a State Championship victory over Rock Hill. The next year they finished 37-3 and brought home another Lower State Championship. This year they repeated that feat with a Lower State Championship and another title game appearance.
“I couldn’t have asked for much more this season. The girls played their hearts out and left everything out on the court,” Coach Malynda Young said.
Two years ago the team consisted of only two seniors and a large number of juniors and underclassmen. After a successful preseason, they were expected to have a good shot to win the Lower State Championship. The next year, with many of the juniors and other key players returning, they were favorites to not only take the Lower State but also retain their title as State Champions.
This year things were much different. After losing many starting seniors to graduation, as well as junior All-State selection Anna Tovo to injury, not much was expected of the former back-to-back Lower State Champs. Fortunately, the team did not need expectations to excel, establishing their “threepeat” as Lower State Champions as well as a third consecutive title game appearance.
“The girls did really well. At the beginning of the season I would put six individuals on the court, but after working through some team offense and defense issues, by the end of the season, I was putting six teammates on the court,” Coach Young said.
The team looked to the leadership of senior captains Natasha Dicks and Tyler Smith, both All-State selections, to lead them through the challenging season. The team was not only buoyed by breakout performances from sophomore libero Taylor Mabry and junior setter Emily Teelon but also team unity.
“The thing that stuck out most about this team this year was their spirit. They worked hard and earned it. I felt like every week they got a little better, and they really earned what they got,” Coach Young said.
On the court, the team relied heavily on their ability to get kills. This came from the team’s offense that allowed the hitters to stray from their usual positions on the court to confuse the blockers on the other team and make one-on-one situations for the setter.
“It is so much easier playing on a team that knows what to do. As a setter, I almost always had someone I could set for the kill,” Teelon said.
Next year, although the team will be losing three seniors, a strong core of the team will remain to defend their Region and Lower State titles. Mabry and Teelon were both All-Region selections so the basis of a strong offense and defense will be in place. The team will also be returning several big hitters, including Anna Tovo and Olivia Fiscus. These returnees provide hope for the team’s future.
“They will be losing some real talent,” Coach Young said, “but we have some girls that have been waiting in the wings. The season will depend on how much time they want to put in and how hard they want to work.
One championship might be a fluke, two might be a strong run, but three is nothing short of a dynasty. The volleyball team acquired this dynastic status by winning their third consecutive Lower State Championship.
In 2010, the volleyball team went 35-1 on their way to a State Championship victory over Rock Hill. The next year they finished 37-3 and brought home another Lower State Championship. This year they repeated that feat with a Lower State Championship and another title game appearance.
“I couldn’t have asked for much more this season. The girls played their hearts out and left everything out on the court,” Coach Malynda Young said.
Two years ago the team consisted of only two seniors and a large number of juniors and underclassmen. After a successful preseason, they were expected to have a good shot to win the Lower State Championship. The next year, with many of the juniors and other key players returning, they were favorites to not only take the Lower State but also retain their title as State Champions.
This year things were much different. After losing many starting seniors to graduation, as well as junior All-State selection Anna Tovo to injury, not much was expected of the former back-to-back Lower State Champs. Fortunately, the team did not need expectations to excel, establishing their “threepeat” as Lower State Champions as well as a third consecutive title game appearance.
“The girls did really well. At the beginning of the season I would put six individuals on the court, but after working through some team offense and defense issues, by the end of the season, I was putting six teammates on the court,” Coach Young said.
The team looked to the leadership of senior captains Natasha Dicks and Tyler Smith, both All-State selections, to lead them through the challenging season. The team was not only buoyed by breakout performances from sophomore libero Taylor Mabry and junior setter Emily Teelon but also team unity.
“The thing that stuck out most about this team this year was their spirit. They worked hard and earned it. I felt like every week they got a little better, and they really earned what they got,” Coach Young said.
On the court, the team relied heavily on their ability to get kills. This came from the team’s offense that allowed the hitters to stray from their usual positions on the court to confuse the blockers on the other team and make one-on-one situations for the setter.
“It is so much easier playing on a team that knows what to do. As a setter, I almost always had someone I could set for the kill,” Teelon said.
Next year, although the team will be losing three seniors, a strong core of the team will remain to defend their Region and Lower State titles. Mabry and Teelon were both All-Region selections so the basis of a strong offense and defense will be in place. The team will also be returning several big hitters, including Anna Tovo and Olivia Fiscus. These returnees provide hope for the team’s future.
“They will be losing some real talent,” Coach Young said, “but we have some girls that have been waiting in the wings. The season will depend on how much time they want to put in and how hard they want to work.