CALEDONIA — Elisha Collins had a feeling about the Caledonia High School volleyball team this season.
As one of three seniors, Collins knew the Lady Confederates would have plenty of experience returning from a team that won more than 20 games in 2012. The question in her mind and in the minds of classmates Morgan Smith and Elisabeth Shepherd was how well the younger and less experienced players would come together and provide depth.
While there haven been ups and downs throughout the season, Collins said things have come together to help push Caledonia back to the playoffs.
“I expected us (to be in this position),” said Collins, a middle blocker. “I think we work hard enough to earn it, so I expected success out of hard work.”
Caledonia will try to take that first step at 5 p.m. today when it plays host to Ripley in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class I playoffs. Ripley, the No. 3 seed from region 1, District 1, beat Williams-Sullivan to advance. Caledonia is the champion of Region 4, District 4, which includes Aberdeen, Amory, Choctaw County, and West Lowndes.
Smith and Shepherd share duties as setter. Smith said the confidence the team had in core returning players Kacy Lovett, Jensen Reed, and Maegen Stewart helped everyone mesh with younger players to get the program back to the postseason.
“We have added a lot,” Smith said. “We have added all solid players, as coach puts it.”
Caledonia coach Samantha Brooks said Caledonia traveled to Starkville on Sunday to watch the Mississippi State volleyball team beat Tennessee 3-0 in a Southeastern Conference match at the Newell-Grissom Building. She hopes seeing the Bulldogs, who won their second-straight SEC match by a 3-0 score, will inspire her players to fight through the ups and downs of the regular season.
“I am proud we have won our district and we are No. 1 and get to host,” said Brooks, whose team is 14-8. “We are not getting to our positions quickly. We’re not scrappy like we should be because we are out of position. I hope seeing that and seeing State beat Tennessee in three games that they will get some ideas or see some plays they can run. For the seniors, this could be it, so give it all you got. For the underclassmen, it would be awesome to go on to state.
“If they play like they can play, like they know how to play, like they have been taught how to play, we can win in three. If they don’t work together, if they don’t get to their position and do all of the little things that will be it.”
Last season, Caledonia beat Lafayette 3-2 to advance to the third round of the Class I tournament before being eliminated by Corinth.
Smith echoed Brooks’ comments and hopes the Lady Confederates can extend her final prep season.
“I think if we work together as a team and play the way all of us know we can play we definitely can go to state,” Smith said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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