GRANITE CITY – Under the leadership of Head Coach Grace Hurst, the Granite City girls volleyball team has shown significant improvement, a transformation evident during a recent match against Edwardsville on Tuesday night. Although the Warriors ultimately lost 25-17, 25-10, the contest highlighted the progress made since Hurst's arrival and underscored the team's growth.
Throughout the entire match, the Warriors returned some kills and hits from the Tigers that might not have occurred in previous years and the team played extremely well as a group and with constant energy and attention. Granite City recorded six wins this season and next season, the potential is there for many more.
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Hurst, a former standout player at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, praised her team's effort, particularly the contributions of the five graduating seniors: Noelle Richey, Brooke Dennan, Makayla Tanksley, Jade Williams, and Audrey Whitehead.
“I highlight our seniors, we had five of them, so they all showed up in different ways tonight, that helped this entire group,” Hurst said.
Hurst set the school record for single-season digs with 686 (6.5 per set) at Mt. Vernon High School (McCordsville, Ind.) as a senior.
The Granite City girls volleyball squad team members are the Stillwater Senior Living Female Athletes of the Month for the Warriors.
Throughout the match against Edwardsville, Granite City faced challenges as Edwardsville responded effectively to their attempts to gain momentum. Hurst remained satisfied about her team's performance. “I think we put up a good fight,” she stated. “The score doesn’t necessarily show it.”
The future of the Warriors girls volleyball program appears promising, thanks in part to the leadership of Coach Hurst and her assistants and a cultural shift instigated by this year's senior class.
“This group of seniors has been with me since my start, and they’ve really changed the culture, and just continuing to change our culture. I’m just proud of all the girls, and how they all went out,” Hurst said.
In addition to the seniors, the roster includes younger players such as sophomores Katie Gartner, Lily Booker, Audrey Barnes, and Elizabeth Weaver, along with juniors Megan Sykes, Alexis Ruiz, and Lucy Klumpp.
The combination of experienced leadership and emerging talent suggests a bright future for Granite City girls volleyball as they continue to develop their skills and compete at a higher level.
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