Local high school girls volleyball programs officially start team practices
Temperature checks, symptom sheets, masked coaches. The start to high school girls volleyball practices in North Carolina has been anything but normal this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped Cherokee County’s players and coaches from making the most out of the opportunity.
On Thursday, for the first time since last fall, high school volleyball programs across the state were allowed to practice as a team and not limited to individual drills.
For many of the area’s coaches and players, finally being able to practice after months of anticipation was a special day a long time coming.
For the Lady Bulldogs, who have unfinished business after falling to Robbinsville in the N.C. High School Athletics Association 1A Girls Volleyball Playoffs last season, getting back into the gym as a team was both an exciting and reassuring experience.
“Honestly, the first day of practice was almost surreal,” Murphy girls volleyball coach Nikol Edwards said of the Lady Bulldogs’ first practice. “It’s so different than anything that we’ve dealt with before and the girls are excited, we all are, to finally have to opportunity to play.”
Senior Grace Nelson, one of the Bulldogs’ key returners from last year’s squad, agreed with Edwards’ description of the mood.
“It doesn’t even feel real actually, it’s crazy,” Nelson said of finally being able to practice as a team. “We missed out on a bunch of stuff last year, but it’s been so good to finally be back in the gym with my teammates. We’re so excited to compete and be able to actually go out and win this year.”
For Murphy senior Sarah Pullium, who was unable to finish basketball season or defend her track and field championship because of COVID-19 cancellations, the return to practice brought relief – and hope.
“It gave a lot of relief and a lot of hope, because the question was, ‘Are we going to get to play?’ ” Lady Bulldog senior Sarah Pullium said of being able to practice and having the season-opener just a week away. “It calms me to know that we’re finally making progress, able to practice and hopefully play some games.”
Down the four-lane highway at Hiwassee Dam High School, the return to practices for the Lady Eagles brought many of the same emotions.
“It’s good to all be back together because after all of the time being by yourself and isolated it’s good to see everybody coming back together as a team,” Hiwassee Dam senior Chloe Roe said of the Lady Eagles’ first few practices back. “I’m just thankful that we get to spend my senior year together.”
Second-year Lady Eagles coach Sam Walker said his players have met the start of practices with high enthusiasm and that the return to the gym has brought both him and the players some relief.
“I think the girls enthusiasm is high, which is a plus, especially for volleyball because volleyball is a lot about momentum,” Walker said of his team’s mood through the opening practices of the season. “As long as we can keep that momentum up throughout the year we’ll do alright.”
“This group seems to be very cohesive with each other and because of that I think they’re going to play a little bit harder for each other,” he continued. “Getting in the gym has been a relief for me and the girls, and I think they’re ready to play and they’re ready to compete.”
In Andrews, Lady Wildcats volleyball coach Shanna Mustin said that her team has been excited to start practicing, but that due to the short time between the team’s first practice and first match of the season, practices have been intense from the jump.
“Everybody is just really excited for the opportunity that we have here,” Andrews volleyball coach Shanna Mustin said of the Lady Wildcats’ first few practices of the short year. “Just the chance to get to play. But at the same time, it’s kind of intense because we have a game in a week, so it’s like every minute matters in those practices. And so, a lot of times you can kind of relax and enjoy quite a bit of the practice, but it’s kind of a different atmosphere in that there’s not much time to prepare so we’re all focused on getting ready for that first game.”
Edwards, whose Lady Bulldogs will head to Andrews Tuesday for both team’s season opener, agreed with Mustin’s point on the difficulty caused by the shortened time between the start of practices and the opening of the regular season a week later.
“I don’t know that we have ever had such a small amount of time to get ready to play,” Edwards said of the short timespan between the Lady Bulldogs’ first practice and first game on Tuesday. “Our official start date and first match are generally fairly close together, but this year it just seems like time is flying already.”
“It’s just strange to say we have a game next week,” she continued. “I keep wondering if they are really going to let us play. It’s been so long and so weird, not playing or doing our preseason routines. I just want them to stay safe, enjoy this season and have fun, so much has already been taken away – I want them to have this opportunity. They’ve earned it!”
For Walker, who has a roster full of new players and is in the second year of enacting his new system of play, focus has been on the Lady Eagles’ setting heading into their season opener against Blue Ridge Early College on Monday.
“Getting them accustomed to calling their own sets and running different sets,” Walker said of what he has been working on with the Lady Eagles ahead of their first game. “In the past it seemed to be, just get the ball up nice and high and go hit it. For us to compete at the next level, we need to vary our sets and vary our plays.”
No matter how the start of the season opens for Cherokee County’s high school girls volleyball teams, the one thing for certain is that the first games of the season for each team will be a special moment.
“I think it’s going to be really special, especially for our upperclassmen and seniors,” Mustin said of the first game of the season. “Our season has been in limbo for so long and it’s really hard, after all of these months, not to lose hope, but these girls are dedicated and they’ve been working hard. So I really think this opening game is gonna mean a lot to them.”