STARKVILLE — Wheeler Richardson isn”t one to stand in one spot on a volleyball court.
If you aren”t watching the ball, you better be ready to move because the Starkville High School senior will run through you to keep it from hitting the floor.
That”s the mentality senior leaders need to motivate their teammates, even if it means tumbling into the bench to make a play.
Richardson”s do-it-all mentality played a key role Thursday in Starkville”s 3-1 victory against Caledonia at the Starkville Sportsplex. Game scores were 25-27, 25-22, 25-19, 25-15.
“I think I have had to step up because we do have so many new girls,” Richardson said. “We lost a lot of leaders, or people who would step up and go for that ball. I think we”re kind of timid at times, and when communication breaks down that”s when we are. Maybe me diving into the bench will give them some momentum to get them going.
“It”s kind of natural, though, because I hate to see the ball hit the ground.”
Richardson hustled from the center of the court and dove in front of the Starkville bench in an attempt to keep a kill attempt by Stevi Carter alive in the second set. Richardson couldn”t keep the ball in play, but her energy forced Starkville coach Lauren Love to encourage the rest of her players to play with the same spirit. Starkville used that energy to pull away and win the set and then to break out to early leads in each of the next two sets.
Richardson had nine kills, 10 digs, 14 assists, and three aces to lead a balanced team effort. Michaela Mills had six kills and 10 digs, April Reese had five kills, six aces, and three blocks, Khristian Carr had 16 digs and three aces, and Grace Drumheller had 12 digs.
Starkville needs contributions from multiple sources because it had to re-shuffle its lineup after three players — McKay Richardson, Elizabeth Scott, and Priyanka Parajuli — who saw significant action last season left the state or transferred to other schools.
The departure of those players meant others, including Richardson, had to step into that void and be bigger leaders. That”s something Starkville coach Lauren Love has been trying to get Richardson to do more of the past few years. While the 5-foot-3 Richardson is adept at any position, Love has encouraged Richardson to be more vocal and to set the example on the court.
With only two other seniors — Drumheller and Margaret Allison — on the squad this season, Love said Richardson is delivering.
“She has to because she has the experience and she knows the fundamentals,” Love said of her co-captain. “She knows one play like that can lead into a huge momentum shift, and volleyball is all about momentum. … It is great she sets an example with her actions and her play.”
Richardson” maturation isn”t surprising. Last year, she was named Outstanding Yellow Jacket (MVP) and she received the Iron Jacket Award (most workouts/practices attended) and the team”s serving award (92.1 percent). She also was named The Dispatch”s All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year.
This season, she said Starkville (7-4) has played well against the teams it has beaten and has come up just short in its losses. She said the key to the team”s play has been the willingness of the newcomers to listen and its ability to communicate.
“The teams we lost to we play well and we have moments of brilliance and then we just look like we never have seen a ball before,” Richardson said. “We kind of stand around and don”t talk. When communication breaks down, that”s when we break down.”
Richardson isn”t afraid to throw her body into a bench if it means it will spark her team. She also doesn”t mind yelling encouragement to Carr or to Reese to get them to go after balls and to dominate at the net.
As for her play, Richardson said she wants to fine tune her setting and to adjust her style from her play with the Tupelo Juniors club team.
“I want to keep on being a leader and to go for the ball and to dive everywhere,” Richardson said. “I want to talk to the other girls and tell them where to go and take care of our court.”
Caledonia coach Samantha Brooks said her team still needs to work on its consistency. Aside from the first set, the Lady Confederates played an up and down match and couldn”t overcome the loss of middle blocker Elisha Collins. The sophomore was forced to leave the match in the third set after apparently twisting her right ankle or knee. She didn”t return.
Ashley Langford moved from libero, or designated defensive specialist, into someone who could play all positions in the fourth set, but Caledonia couldn”t work its way back.
“We need to play as a team and to continue to believe in each other,” Brooks said. “We need to work together and to mainly play our spots.”
Morgan Smith had 18 assists and four aces, Elisabeth Shepherd had two aces and two kills, Stevi Carter had one ace, three kills, and five blocks, Collins had two aces, four kills, and one block, Langford had one ace and two kills, Sarah Freeman had one kill and two blocks, and Cara Hopper had two aces and three kills.
“We had some less experienced players who stepped in and did a great job,” Brooks said. “They have to learn when a curveball is thrown they need to work around that and to continue to be consistent.”
Caledonia and Starkville will play this weekend at the 12th annual Tupelo Volleyfest. Caledonia will be in the gold pool with Corinth, St. Joe”s, DeSoto Central, and Columbus. Starkville will be in the blue pool with Tupelo, Ripley, Northwest Rankin, and Aberdeen.
Pontotoc, Oxford, Madison Central, Lake Cormorant, and Amory will make up the white pool.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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