By Scott Nickerson
Elmore/Autauga News
The Edgewood Academy Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team has one of the most impressive streaks of any team in the area. The Volleyball Championship banner hanging in the rafters of the Wildcats’ arena shows that the girls from Edgewood Academy have won four consecutive AISA Class 2A championships, and six of the last seven.
In the 2022 state championship at the Cramton Bowl Complex in Montgomery, the Wildcats defeated Lowndes Academy for their 4th straight title. Karlee Mainor, Jaylyn Strength, and Lindsey Brown were named to the All-Tournament Team in Class 2A.
Four returning seniors that contributed to the 2022 championship gave their favorite moment of the season, along with the team’s goals for their final year.
Lindsey Brown is committed to continuing her career for the volleyball team at the University of Alabama. She cited her favorite moment from the 2022 season was when the Wildcats swept Lowndes in the final. She wants to finish her career with another championship. “Our team goal this season is obviously to win state, but to grow as a team off the court and grow stronger together in that aspect.”
Madison Martin has been excelling in her final season. She agreed the best part of last season was sweeping Lowndes in the championship match. Martin says that the volleyball team is on the same page for the 2023 season. “Our whole team has the same goal. We all want to end with an undefeated season and a ring on our hand. We hear from our coaches that we are held to a standard. The standard for us is to be the best we can be every day and keep getting better. We all try to hold each other to an even higher standard.”
For Olivia Carlin, her favorite moment was rushing the championship trophy to the Edgewood Academy student section and cheering with them. ‘I believe everyone has the common goal of winning a state championship. We are trying to maintain motivation by seeing the potential of how good everyone could become over this season,” Carlin said.
Katelynn Shaner looked at the accomplishment of going undefeated the entire season as her favorite moment. “We all have the same goal of winning another state championship. As a group I feel we are one of the most self-motivated teams I’ve ever been a part of. I have been a part of this program for seven years and the word that gets thrown at us the most is ‘Standard.’ We know we have a standard to play to and that becomes our biggest motivation.”
Prior to the 2023 season, Brad Starks was named Head Coach of the Edgewood Academy Volleyball team. Joining a program with so much success is an exciting prospect for Starks.
“It has been an incredible situation to have this job sort of fall into my lap,” said Starks. “The girls are extremely talented, but they are equally diligent in their practice and preparation. It is a testament to their past coaches and the leadership of the upperclassmen that they are able to consistently perform at this level. I love the added dynamic of being the team with a target on our backs and I think the girls thrive on it. We have just been trying to set a new foundation and push the standard even higher.”
With the strong returning core, Coach Starks knows that the Wildcats are expected to bring home another title in 2023. “We have to remain focused every day and take complacency completely out of the equation. We know we have the talent to win but we are going to get every team’s best shot. If the girls continue to grow as individual players and as teammates, I think we have a very good opportunity in front of us. We just have to play to our standard and continue to improve every day. Our early success doesn’t guarantee us anything at the end of October.”
Wildcat seniors understand there is still room for improvement. Martin cited team a wide increase of volleyball IQ as an area of importance, while Carlin stressed the need to avoid sloppy play. Shaner explained that the team has made progress in coming together when mistakes are made, but continued improvement is necessary when adversity strikes during the season.
Brown, the Alabama commit, believes the most important factor is staying mentally strong. “We are very talented physically, but I think we can make tremendous improvement mentally and learn to stay locked in from the beginning to the end of every match and staying mentally strong.”
If the 2023 Wildcats play to the standard set by current and former players, the championship banner will likely reflect a 5th straight title.
