The Baylor volleyball team finished as the state runner-up twice and three times as the third-place team in coach Sarah Lail’s first five years as their leader.
It all finally came together at the right time last fall as the Lady Red Raiders posted an impressive 43-9 record, capping it all with a state title.
Baylor had won back-to-back state titles in 1997-98, so last year’s victory against Father Ryan in the finals was especially sweet.
And now as the dawn of a new season is upon us, the current Baylor T-shirts say it all.
“What’s Next?”
Baylor graduated two seniors while another one or two made other decisions and will not be playing this year. There are four new freshmen on the scene vying for playing time, but the core of Baylor’s team is back stronger than ever, including a hard-hitting junior named Gabby Gray, who was the MVP at the state tournament and later voted the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Lail is always coming up with new ways to get better and this year is no different, but with the season-opening match at Soddy Daisy on Tuesday, hopes are as high as ever in the Baylor camp.
“Now we know that a state title is attainable and it just makes them work even harder,” said Lail last week while her girls were getting a lesson in weight lifting.
“This is a brand new team and another year, but they want to experience that winning feeling again. I feel really blessed as we have another great group of young ladies as they exemplify what I’m looking for in a volleyball player. I’m proud to be their coach,” the spirited Lail continued.
Haven Bethune and Ashleigh Cook are the only two seniors on this year’s team while Lilly Turner and Jane Wilson join Gray as juniors. Sarah Sumida is still just a sophomore, but she’s a three-year starter and a valuable contributor as well.
Throw in that quartet of freshmen – including Ally Craig, Denver Rogers, Elizabeth Case and Abby McNamara – and you have a strong foundation for another outstanding season.
While all of these girls are really good volleyball players, none are any better than Gray, who is surely one of the best players across the state in any classification.
“Gabby is really serious and dedicated to the sport of volleyball and she surely brings our level of play up. Our team balances well with her as her supporting cast just makes her better,” praised Lail.
“She’s by far the best hitter I’ve had in a long, long time and I’ve never had one who can take over a match like she can. These girls don’t get caught up the drama as they know they need each other, but they are still teen-aged girls,” Lail laughed.
“We know what it takes to win it all and this is the hard part, but I’m with my teammates so it’s not so bad,” Gray said when asked about how she liked the idea of weight training to compliment other practice habits.
“We can’t afford to think about last year, but we can’t stop there. We have to keep our eyes focused on the big prize from the beginning. We are still coming together, but we’re shooting to be the best in October when it counts.
“I love the pressure and I have to be a good leader to help make it happen,” she added.
Turner also earned All-State honors last year as the Baylor libero. She too is excited about the potential of this year’s team.
“I’m sure that we can make it back, but it won’t come easy. We can’t afford to lose focus as teams will be gunning for us. But you have to pay the price for greatness and we’re willing to do just that,” Turner smiled.
Bethune has been playing for four years now and is a three-year starter. Her presence is just as important as anyone on the team.
“We just have to keep working hard to get better. I’m excited about the upcoming season, but we have to play together,” Bethune assessed.
Kurt Emmanuel was the Baylor head coach for the first eight or nine years the program was in existence and he was in charge when they won those first two state titles. He’s been there since the beginning and has been an assistant coach ever since.
He too knows what it takes to reach the state’s highest level.
“I’ve been with Baylor volleyball for 25 years as I started this team. We started out with a bunch of softball players who had no experience playing volleyball. This sport has really grown in recent years as the competition has gotten much better with so many good teams,” he said.
“This team is really talented and we’re all expecting a lot this year. We have to be strong on defense as that’s the key to winning championships, but we want to be the best passing team possible.
“It’s really hard to describe the feeling you get when you’re in the state finals and that last point goes down. We’re just hoping to have that experience again this year,” he concluded.
While Baylor will travel to Soddy Daisy on Tuesday, the Lady Raiders will be at home for the first time on Wednesday as they host a three-way meet with Central and Notre Dame. Then it’s to Oak Ridge this weekend for the always-strong Early Bird Tournament.
It’s a long season. Much can happen in the next few weeks, but the ultimate goal is winning another state title.
Baylor proved they could do it last year and they want to prove that last year’s win wasn’t a fluke.
The journey will begin on Tuesday.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)