Volleyball team finishes season as area champions

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Kayce Nelson

Junior Raylee Bain returns the ball to Lamesa during the Oct. 18 game.

The volleyball team finished their season Friday, Nov. 15 at the regional semi-final game against Krum High School at McMurry University.

The score of the final set was 14-25. Junior middle back MaKynna Cranmer said the team worked hard to get to reach this level.

“We’ve had a lot of seniors,” Cranmer said. “We also had nine juniors and just one sophomore. We had to work together this year and that’s really special. We didn’t have a lot of team chemistry at the beginning of the season, but we build that along the way. That’s what was really special about this year.”

Cranmer said the team started out a little rough early in the season.

You have to stay on your toes and pray everything goes right.

— MaKynna Cranmer, 11

“We began with a losing streak, but then we got together and switched around a few positions and then things started working,” Cranmer said. “We played about 60-70 matches. I feel like we’ve grown a lot together since the beginning.”

Cranmer said being on the court is a rush of energy.

You have to stay on your toes and pray everything goes right,” Cranmer said. “Being as we got out shorter in the playoffs, I think it’s going to feed our fire. This is going to push us into working harder next year. We didn’t play our best in the last game, but we did leave it all out on the field.” 

Senior Bryli Contreras, who plays libero, said this year was special because of her teammates’ ability to work together.

The people made this season stand out really to me,” Contreras said. “This was a really good season. We were all just really close, whether it was on or off the court. When it comes down to it, it’s not the games you remember. The people made this season so special.

Contreras plans on continuing to play volleyball in college.

This team is really close, and our friendships will last longer than volleyball.

— Bryli Contreras, 12

“I signed onto Stephen F. Austin to play,” Contreras said. “Emma Crenshaw signed to Arkansas Tech, and McKenna Coppock is signing to Oklahoma Panhandle State University. I’m looking forward to continuing my volleyball career. It’s an exciting opportunity and an exciting environment to get to continue to play.”

Contreras said she was sad about how the season ended, but is looking forward to the future.

For every team, the goal is state, but at the end of the day it’s only one team that makes it that far,” Contreras said. “We fell short at certain points, but we were still really successful. Our season ended with the first game of the regional tournament, but there’s only one team that walks out with a smile on their face. But, this team is really close, and our friendships will last longer than volleyball. It’s something you’ll remember forever.”