CALEDONIA — There isn’t a “right” word that illuminates why the Caledonia High School volleyball team has been so successful this season.
Carlee Dale says leadership. Lizzie Truelock uses constructive criticism to describe how the players function so well together.
Olivia Boykin uses determination, while Ansley Brown says dedication and understanding are her most important words.
Caledonia High coach Samantha Brooks agrees all of those words factor into the chemistry that has fueled the Lady Confederates to another district championship. But Brooks and five of her players used the word trust as the one they feel pinpoints why the team has fared so well despite not having a lot of size, especially at the attacking positions.
“I think the amount of time and experience they have had together (has helped build that trust),” Brooks said. “We had so many of them participate in the summer workouts. They also spend time together at camp for three days. I just think the experiences they have had together have led them to trust each other.”
Caledonia will rely on that trust to give it an edge when it plays host to Lewisburg at 6 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class II playoffs.
Lewisburg (30-8) was the runner-up in Region 2. Caledonia lost to Lewisburg 3-0 on Aug. 9. Since then, the Lady Confederates went on to sweep through Region 4 with an 8-0 mark en route to a 27-8 record.
Brooks said each other players has earned the trust of their teammates through the ups and downs of a long season. She said she has noticed the players “don’t want to let each other down” since the beginning of the season. The fact that the team has eight juniors who have played together for several years has made it easier for everyone to accept their roles and to play for one another, she said.
Brooks also believes the trust the players have in each other is tied into the gritty, defensive style her teams have become known for because they usually haven’t had a lot of size along the front row. She said the effort in the past few years to play bigger schools and programs with stronger volleyball traditions have helped the program raise its level.
“Effort had been a big thing this year,” Brooks said. She singled out Brown for recently grabbing a broom to sweep the basketball court so the team could start practice on time. Brooks also praised her players for being mentally focused and for having fun to keep things moving in the right direction.
Brown said the players haven’t been judgmental or don’t “dog” on each other when someone makes a mistake. Instead, she said the players support each other on and off the court. She points to those bonds as crucial ingredients to the team’s success.
Maddy Suggs, who is one of the eight juniors, used passion and selflessness as her most important words behind the team’s success. She, too, agrees trust has been an integral component.
“We don’t have to worry about the passers passing and we’re not worrying about the hitters hitting,” Suggs said. “We all trust each other to make the plays.”
Kennedy Lambert was one of the Lady Confederates who used trust as one of her two most important words. Along with passion and understanding, Lambert said all of the words used by her teammates and manager Emilee Forrester have created a chemistry she hopes will be strong enough to push the team into the second round of the playoffs.
“It’s a team sport, and one person can’t win the game, so we have to trust each other and know if you make one mistake your team will be there to pick you up,” Lambert 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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