WOOD RIVER - The Lewis and Clark eighth-grade Lady Patriots in Wood River are having a remarkable volleyball season.
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The Lewis and Clark ladies are the first of the new Riverbender.com feature on youth "Rising Stars." Information is below on how to submit a suggestion for Rising Stars.
The ladies finished the conference season 9-1 and are now an impressive 17-1-2 with the No. 1 seed in the Greenville Regional. The ladies play in the Greenville Regional semifinal matchup at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 7.
The ladies defeated Roxana 21-24, 25-18 and 25-22 in a tight matchup recently for their eighth conference title at home in front of a capacity crowd. The ladies did not lose a home game in the last two years they played on the home court.
The members of the team are: Zenn Wilson, Aerowyn Harris, Hannah Weller, Madilyn Fry, Ali Sidwell, Olivia Harvatich, Morgan Gibbs, JaLynn Thompson, Reagan Williams, Melania Hickerson, Hannah Nelson and Payton Patterson.
Lewis and Clark eighth-grade Patriots coach Tiffany Falk said she has never coached a group of girls quite like the ones she has this year.
“These are the most coachable athletes I’ve ever had the privilege of working with,” she said. “They are not happy being mediocre. They want to be the best and they are willing to put in the work to get there."
“Out of the ten eighth-graders on the team, seven of them have been playing together since they were in the sixth-grade. They eat, breathe, and live out this game on a daily basis. When they’re not on the court practicing, they are researching the game online or watching college volleyball.
"Seven of my players also play on a select team, doing everything possible to better themselves and their game. Their sixth- and seventh-grade seasons they went undefeated in their conference and claimed first place. This year, we suffered a tough loss against Roxana but it only made the team stronger. It forced them to work harder."
Falk said her team’s regular season ended with “the most phenomenal game I’ve ever coached.
“We were set to verse Roxana again on February 23,” she said. “The winner of that game would take home the title of conference champions. Roxana came out ahead during the first game. We came back harder the second game.
“It all came down to the third game. It went back and forth, one team on top and then the other. We ended up winning 25-22 and claiming that first place title for the third year in a row. Now we’re gearing up for post-season play."
The coach concluded by saying: “The team has worked extremely hard to prepare for what we may encounter. I’m confident that these ladies can do anything they put their minds to. If a regional win is what they want, I have no doubts that they won’t accomplish that."
To nominate someone for the Rising Stars feature, click on the link below:
http://contribute.riverbender. com/page/rising-star/
