Lady Pirates End with Most Successful Season in Years
Lady Pirates come together after scoring against St. James. The Pirates lost in the first round of substate to the Thunder.
October 26, 2021
The Lady Pirates volleyball came up short of state, losing to St. James Thunder in the first round of sub-state on Oct. 23. However, the team has turned their season around, and finished with an overall record of 9-20 on the season.
“Everything was different this year,” said junior Madi Welker. “The coaching staff, the team chemistry, and even our records. In the past years, our team played as individuals. Nobody got along, and the seasons were not very enjoyable. This year, it was a whole different situation. Our team created a bond that was unbreakable. This was the year that Piper Volleyball changed for the better.”
Compared to last year’s 4-23 record, the Pirates volleyball team has developed their skills in many ways. Many players noted that the dynamics of the team changed from previous years which they believed helped their overall chemistry.
“Everyone was coachable and accepted feedback from the coaches,” said senior Raven Corlee. “Everyone tried to always have a positive attitude. Communication was good, as well as positivity and being supportive. Coaches and most players focused on effort, team, and attitude, not wins and losses.”
Junior Addie Williams believes that the team’s mentality was one of the factors holding them back this season.
“Closing our games out was a hard thing for our team to complete,” Williams said. “Changing our mental game would be one thing I would’ve changed. I believe that we would have had a lot more wins with this change.”
Communication was good, as well as positivity and being supportive. Coaches and most players focused on effort, team, and attitude, not wins and losses”
— Raven Corlee
Corlee sided with Williams stating that the mentality played a major role this season.
“If I had come to every practice and game with a positive attitude, and if I didn’t let my emotions get the best of me, I could’ve been the better version of myself for my team,” Corlee said. “Life happens and you just have to deal with it, you live and you learn.”
Despite all of the challenges the Lady Pirates volleyball team has faced, many of the players remain optimistic on what is in store for the team’s future.
“My expectations are very high for next year,” Welker said. “A lot of our team this year was juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, so most of us will still be together next season. I believe that all of us will come back next year, hungry for the wins, and striving to be better than we were this season.”
