Injuries, heartaches and setbacks are as much a part of athletics as exhilarating wins.
Shady Spring head volleyball coach Kelly Williams and her teams have run the gambit of those emotions during her five years at the helm.
Now Shady’s resilience is being tested yet again.
Coming off of their dominating state championship title run last year the Tigers rolled into 2021 with the goal of winning back-to-back state titles.
While that goal is still very much attainable they will have to make that quest without one key piece of the puzzle, at least for now.
First-team all-state selection and Player of the Year candidate, Meg Williams, suffered a knee injury during an exhibition match and will be out of action for an undetermined amount of time.
“It was really big blow, but we have a really strong team. We talk about roles and what their roles are all the time. The reason that you stick it out, keep grinding and play hard everyday is because eventually you might be called upon,” Williams said. “Sometimes one door may close for a little bit, but another one opens. You have to take full advantage of that opportunity and keep moving forward. Our goals haven’t changed. It just the roles have changed. Meg now has a job to do and my other girls have a job to do. We just try to stay focused on our main goals.”
Earning a repeat title is clearly a daunting task and it will be for Shady Spring also. Besides losing Williams for a while, the Tigers lost three players to graduation from the championship team.
“Those girls did a wonderful job stepping in and playing their role and being great leaders. I cannot talk about that enough. Those girls were great leaders,” Williams said back during summer workouts.
Williams will again have a senior trio this year that she feels will be big factors in the team’s success – Kelsey Dangerfield, Aly Holdren and Peydon Smith.
“Kelsey has always been a strong presence on the floor ever since her freshman year. I don’t have to tell Kelsey what to do. She is completely in charge of her own game and she knows what I expect even before I have to say anything,” Williams said. “She is trusted amongst her peers and she is not afraid to try different things. She is just a strong all around player. I can put her anywhere, not just at the setting position and she will succeed.”
While Dangerfield is not a loud, boisterous leader, her play on the floor easily sets her apart and establishes a tone that her teammates follow.
“Kelsey controls the floor, but she does it in a quiet tone. She is not a flashy player by any means but she will definitely get your attention out there. I think that is kind of her personality too,” Williams said. “You may not hear her, but you will pay attention to her play. She is not only a great setter, she hits really well also. She is a strong, consistent, all-around player.”
Smith has one of the more dynamic serves in high school volleyball. Her serving ability was a key factor in Shady rallying to take game one in last year’s state tournament match.
“Peydon comes in and her serve is really what catches your attention. Her hitting has evolved over the years and she is now playing a big role for us there,” Williams said.
Holdren also came up big in spot duty in those state tournament games and now she will get her chance to shine full-time.
“Aly has been steady her entire time here. She played a little bit as a sophomore and played as a junior. I cannot say enough about how she is willing to do whatever it is that I ask of her,” Williams said. “Her ability is just as strong as the others, it is just comes out in a different way. I can put Aly on the floor and she will do exactly what I need out of her.”
Junior Chloe Thompson has been an outstanding hitter since her freshman season, but she is far more than just an outside threat.
“Chloe is a hard hitter. She has played the game for so long. Her explosive hitting is what we look for,” Williams said. “She is another great all-around player that just knows the game so well. Her intelligence on the floor is very obvious.”
Braylie Wiseman and Camille Testerman will be asked to play bigger roles this year, as will Haley Sweeney.
“The great thing about these girls is they have stuck with it and followed the program. They haven’t quit and it’s really nice to see all of their hard work, regardless of who is on the floor, come together,” Williams said. “We have talked with them since they were freshmen about being all in. The girls that listened, put in the time and worked really hard, it is definitely working for them.”
Shady Spring opened the season Saturday with 2-0 wins over Cabell Midland, Hurricane and Independence in Ona, W.Va.
“We have started well, but we have a lot of work to do. We have some really tough teams ahead and we could see a hiccup here and there,” Williams said. “I think the good thing about these girls is they have been playing against the highest level players for so many years.”
“I don’t think they may have realized how good the girls from our past years have made them. Their appreciation for who was on the floor before them really reflects in how they are able to play now,” Williams continued. “It is certainly nice to see the whole team come together like this. When one person might falter or get hurt, another person is right there ready to do the job that they have been asked to do.”
