Junior Aubrey Newberry was named Teammate of the Year during the volleyball team’s awards banquet on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Head Coach Katie Dargis praised Newberry’s positive attitude and mental and emotional toughness. “Aubrey’s ability to adapt quickly and figure out what the team needed was invaluable,” Dargis said. “She never complains, is very supportive, and always ready to offer encouragement to her teammates. With a group of girls, that goes a long way.”
Junior Kiera Johnson received the Coaches Award which recognizes sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, reliability, and focus. “When I think of these traits, one name immediately comes to mind” Dargis said.
The Sportsmanship Award went to Senior Tiara Reynold for her consistent positivity and accountability.
“We all owe Tiara 100 thank-yous for helping set up the nets each week,” Dargis said. “She is honest, owns her mistakes, and holds herself accountable. Her positive attitude and appreciation for others made her an essential part of the team.”
Junior Trinity Victor was honored with the Leadership Award for her exceptional qualities both on and off the court.
“Her volleyball IQ is outstanding, and her accuracy in serving is remarkable,” Dargis said. “She demonstrated focus, dependability, and a hardworking spirit, always arriving at practice ready to contribute and staying until the very end.”
Victor’s dedication extended beyond volleyball, the coach said. Like her sister, she was leaving the banquet early that evening to attend her induction into the National Honor Society, a recognition awarded to students who demonstrate excellent service, leadership, and character in their school and community.
Three players received All-League Conference recognition, which is voted on by all the coaches in the league: Keira Johnson, recognized for her skill, leadership, and contributions on the court; Karissa Jewell, for consistent performances and effort throughout the season; and Tiara Reynolds, for her sportsmanship and overall impact on the team.
“This recognition is a huge honor and a testament to their hard work and dedication,” Dargis said.
3 year letter Senior Tiara Reynolds and junior Trinity Victor.
2 year letter Junior Miley Smith and sophmore Karissa Jewell
1 year letter Senior Sophia Stock, Junior Keira Johnson, junior Aubrey Newberry, junior Natalie Smith, sophomore Aaliya Brown, sophomore Kaitlyn Kennedy,
Junior varsity players recognized for their contributions this season with their Team Awards included Sophomore Brooke Elder Hustle, sophomore Aivaih Duran Teammate of the Year, sophomore Maily Brewer Sportsmanship, and sophomore Tori Victor Leadership.
JV2 coach Erika Evans made mention of her girls she coached this year as being the “funnest, easiest, hardest-working group of girls” she has ever worked with and looks forward to continuing to see them on the court in the coming seasons during their high school career.
As the banquet wrapped up, Dargis reflected on the significant change the volleyball team experienced with her coming in as a new head coach. She expressed gratitude for her coaching staff and reflected on their goals of being focused on identifying the team’s strengths and weaknesses while setting weekly goals to foster growth.
Being a young varsity team, the players embraced their underdog status and delivered strong performances against some of the toughest competitors Dargis said.
“The players had to adjust to a new coach this season, which can be hard,” Dargis said. “ I appreciate the ones who were open to this and willing to be on board with new systems. Moving forward, there will be more adjustments and changes. My goal is to remind the athletes to have good attitudes to these changes and view them as new strategies getting added to their arsenal as a volleyball player.”
Dargis said that this year proved to be a time to get to know the athletes and “adjust our goals as needed.”
She said she plans to work with the team on “mental toughness as well as volleyball fundamentals.”
“We have a tough league, and to be able to compete with our opponents will take some growth in areas of focus, accountability, and overall attitude and effort,” Dargis said. “Being a young varsity team this year, I’m happy with how they stepped up to compete against tough teams. This group of girls do like to be the underdog.
“Some of our best games were against teams in the state tournament finals, such as Stayton, Marist, and the second time we played Crook County. I’m proud of them for putting in such effort against some phenomenal teams.” Stayton and Crook County both made the 4A Tournament semifinals, and Marist lost 3-1 to Marshfield in the final. The Huskies, who only had two seniors on their 10-player roster, Stock and Reynolds, finished 4-15 overall, and went 3-7 in the league games.
Looking ahead, the coach said she is excited for the team’s potential. “We have a tough league, and to compete with our opponents, we’ll need continued growth in focus, accountability, and overall effort,” she said.