Girls’ Volleyball Season Comes to a Close
The team huddles together after a point in a regular season match.
After a long, hard-fought couple of months, the girls’ volleyball season has come to a close. They won in the first round of districts in two sets to Francis Howell North, but fell short in the semifinals against Francis Howell Central, the eventual district champions, 2-1.
Head Coach Bryndyn Crutcher remains positive about the season, though: “If nothing else, the disappointment felt by our returning players will be a driving force in preparation for next year.”
Although the team did not exceed expectations in their record, they left a far more important impact in the way that they reflected Christ to their opponents.
“The goal that I believe to be most important was to be a witness of Christ to our opponents, officials, and fans, and to offer the opportunity to pray with our opponents. . . Win or lose, our athletes prayed with our opponents. Most of our opponents, both private and public schools, chose to join us for our post-match prayer,” said Crutcher.
Additionally, the volleyball team had a goal to win one of their tournaments, but sadly they did not achieve this endeavour.
One unique aspect of the team was the abundance of seniors. All ten of them worked hard to display leadership and create a positive culture for the younger players.
“This season was especially different as a senior, I assumed a leadership role and didn’t have anyone guiding me anymore. I’m so glad to have had such great leaders in previous years to show me how to lead a team,” said Heidi Hightower, senior captain.
Hopefully, the underclassmen will learn from the strong example of leadership that the seniors set and apply it to next year’s season.
The team was also known for having a cohesive dynamic. Although there was a wide variation of grade levels and experience, the girls found a way to form a unit.
“At first it was difficult to bridge that gap, but Coach Crutcher did a great job assisting us in forming relationships that brought the whole team together,” said Hightower.
Overall, although the girls’ volleyball team did not accomplish all of their goals, they still made a profound impact on and off the court; the season will not be forgotten.
“Although we did not find ourselves on the top of the podium, we competed well in all but one of our tournaments and look forward to next season,” said Crutcher.
