Lewisville eager to make history in 1A volleyball state championship match
Lewisville High School has been waiting a long time for a shot at a volleyball state championship.
Saturday, the Lions get their chance with a 10:30 a.m. 1A state championship match at Chapin High School against the Branchville Yellow Jackets.
When the bulk of Lewisville’s team started under head coach Josh Renaud four years ago, they were determined to make the school’s volleyball program better. The Lions had registered only one playoff win in volleyball – ever – and the players set out to make history.
With hard work and determination they have done just that. Renaud’s team takes a 12-3 overall mark, a perfect region record, and the experience from a hard-fought 3-2 win over Dixie in the Upper State Championship into their match with Branchville, a perennial power in 1A volleyball.
The Lions have tri-captains who are not only talented players, but outstanding leaders.
“It is not hard to lead this team, because everyone is so focused,” said senior outside hitter Lauren Crocker. “Everyone helps each other out.”
As the Lions moved through the season they have faced tough competition, and with each step in the playoffs, the competition gets better.
“As we play better teams, we need to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Crocker said. “We just have to adjust what we do and not get overconfident.”
Junior middle hitter Amber Bass says her team has played with confidence all year, and that the confidence level has increased with each match.
“We believe in ourselves, and our hard work has showed us what we can do,” Bass said. “The competitiveness of the Upper State championship match against Dixie really boosted our confidence level.”
The Lions were coming off a 3-0 thrashing of High Point Academy in the previous round, and the rugged five-set battle against Dixie was more proof they had gotten better.
“We needed a tough match to get ready for the state finals, and we got it,” Bass said. “We were tired when it was over, but we all knew we could compete against anyone if we played hard and played together.”
The way the Lions play in each match and continue to improve is not an accident. Renaud works the players hard every day, and the captains make sure that everyone is on board.
On Wednesday, senior outside hitter Aly Butler said: “We will make sure that we are all ready to play when we go through that final practice Friday. We will make sure that we all stay focused throughout the entire practice session.”
The long bus ride to Chapin High School to play Branchville is also part of the process. The Lions need to make sure they put their A game on the bus with them.
“We need to make sure our attitude is good as we start out, and know that we will all be nervous,” Butler said. “Then we need to make sure that we are focused and let the fact that we are excited about getting this far not get in the way.”
Renaud has watched the program grow from winning a couple of matches in his first two years to a trip to the Upper State finals last year to playing for all the marbles this time around.
“We have really improved both individually and as a team this year,” Renaud said. “Our work ethic has been solid. Every player on this team believes in what we do. They bought in two years ago, and all I have seen since then is constant improvement.”
Renaud’s sister Amelia is the assistant coach, and she has enjoyed the challenge of the past few seasons and the rewards of what the hard work has produced.
Four years ago, the players on this team only dreamed about playing in the state championship. It has been a good ride for all of them, especially the seniors who will play for the last time Saturday.
The turnaround has been truly remarkable, the fan base went from non-existent four years ago to filling the Lewisville side of the gym on a regular basis.
“It has been humbling to watch this team grow each match and with each season,” Amelia Renaud said. “I have seen these players come up through the JV ranks, work hard and get better. That has been exciting.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Lewisville eager to make history in 1A volleyball state championship match."