Southern Gap High School’s first volleyball team will enter the gym carrying more than a new name across the front of its jerseys.
The Eagles will carry the responsibility of establishing the expectations, traditions and identity of a program that will represent Buchanan County for years to come.
Players who previously represented Council, Grundy, Hurley and Twin Valley have spent the summer putting old rivalries behind them and learning how to compete as one team. First-year head coach Hannah Lester said the players have made that transition easier than she could have imagined.
“It feels great,” Lester said of becoming the first varsity volleyball head coach in Southern Gap history. “I am so thankful and honored to have the opportunity to coach this team, and I am grateful I was trusted to take on the role.”
Building a program from scratch brings pressure, but it also presents an opportunity that Lester and her players will experience only once.
“Building a program from the ground up comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility, but this team is making it easy,” Lester said. “I take a lot of pride in these girls and how they have come together as a brand new team. I am excited for this opportunity.”
The adjustment began during open gyms over the summer. Instead of returning to familiar teammates and systems, the players had to learn new personalities, tendencies and styles of play.
“Preseason was a little different for us this year,” Lester said. “We had girls coming together from four different schools, so we had big numbers at open gym all summer. It was a lot of getting to know each other and learning each other’s style of playing.”
Any concerns about former rivalries carrying over quickly disappeared.
“The girls have adjusted in the best possible way,” Lester said. “I genuinely could not ask for a better group of girls. They truly are all such good friends and watching them together is a wonderful feeling.”
Lester said the players’ conversations have centered on their shared future rather than their former schools.
“Yes 100%,” Lester said when asked if the players had embraced their new identity. “Since they started playing together over the summer, there has been nothing but talking about the future and how excited they are to come together as Eagles.”
Senior Claire Griffey will be at the center of Southern Gap’s attempt to make an immediate impact. Griffey enters her final high school season following a remarkable career that has established her as one of the area’s most accomplished volleyball players.
Griffey has recorded 1,262 career digs, 388 service points, 124 aces, 58 assists and 29 kills. She was named first-team All-Black Diamond District, the district’s Libero of the Year and honorable mention All-Region D in each of the past three seasons.
Although Griffey has already built an impressive individual résumé, the senior is focused on helping Southern Gap begin its volleyball history the right way.
“Being a part of the first Southern Gap volleyball team is such an honor,” Griffey said. “We get to set new standards, build traditions, and start something special. My expectations are for us to start with a bang, play our hardest, and make our first season one to remember.
“Our team chemistry is amazing. We’ve gotten really close, we communicate well, and we’re playing great together. I’m super excited to see what this season holds.”
Griffey’s value extends beyond the numbers. She can affect nearly every part of a match. Still, her experience, communication and ability to control the back line could be especially important as the Eagles adjust to playing together.
Southern Gap will not have to rely on Griffey alone. Lester has assembled a roster filled with athleticism, experience and players capable of contributing in several different roles.
Senior Emily Mullins gives the Eagles another leader with exceptional quickness and athletic ability. Junior Bree Looney is also a quick, athletic player who can help Southern Gap defensively and keep rallies alive.
Senior Megan Hess enters the season as one of the area’s top returning volleyball players. Hess hits with power and gives the Eagles an experienced offensive threat who can finish points.
For Hess, the excitement of Southern Gap’s inaugural season is made even more meaningful because it will also be her final year of high school volleyball.
“I’m really excited for this season, especially going into my senior year,” Hess said. “We’re growing every day as a team and learning to play with each other. I can’t wait to see how we improve through the season.”
Junior Bela Hurley could also play an important role after enjoying a breakout season at Hurley last year. She brings experience and all-around ability to a Southern Gap team that will need dependable players as it enters the Southwest District.
“I think we all have high expectations for this season,” Hurley said. “Being the first volleyball team in school history is really special because we have the opportunity to set the standard for the teams that come after us. It means a lot to be able to represent Southern Gap for the first time and hopefully build something that our school and community can be proud of for years to come.
“Even though a lot of us came from different schools and hadn’t played together before this summer, I think we’ve came together really well. We’re continuing to learn how each other plays and build chemistry every day, and I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish together this season.”
The Eagles should also have plenty of strength along the front line.
Senior Leah Rasnake is one of the area’s top returning players at the net and is expected to have a productive season as a hitter and blocker. Her presence should make it difficult for opponents to attack the middle of Southern Gap’s defense.
Junior Addy Boyd gives Lester another strong player at the net. Boyd put in considerable work during the offseason and is expected to be a key part of Southern Gap’s attack.
“I expect us to have an amazing season,” Boyd said. “We have such a great group of girls, and each of us contributes to the team in so many different aspects. It is such a blessing to be the first group of girls to ever put on an SG volleyball jersey. It is amazing to be able to set the standards for the teams in the future. Our team has been together. We have fun, but we are dead set in our end goal. We work amazing. From the standard eye, it doesn’t look like we have played against one another. Us girls have worked hard and put in a lot of effort to play this cohesive.”
Senior Madison Lester provides additional length at the net and will be an important piece of the Eagles’ front-line rotation. Her ability to challenge opposing hitters and contribute offensively gives Southern Gap another option around the net.
Junior Adyson Bell is possibly the most gifted athlete on the roster. She combines skill, competitiveness, and athleticism that can contribute to the Eagles’ scoring and enable her to play multiple roles. I anticipate she will be among the top players in the Southwest District this season.
Sophomore Lucy Savage is already considered one of the top athletes in her class in Southwest Virginia. Despite being one of the younger players on the roster, Savage has the ability to make a significant contribution during Southern Gap’s first season.
Sophomore Kendall Brown is another young player expected to receive meaningful playing time. Brown brings intelligence and a competitive approach to the court, and she has shown she can perform in important moments.
Senior Kami Roark provides another experienced and dependable option who should see significant time in the rotation. Junior Sierra Lowry is a high-energy player with good length who can play anywhere on the court.
Lester identified Griffey, Rasnake, Bell, Boyd, Madison Lester and Hurley as players she expects to take on leadership roles. With six seniors and several experienced juniors, the Eagles have a veteran core that can help the team navigate the challenges of a first season.
The players have spent much of the preseason adjusting to Lester’s coaching style and learning where they need to be within the team’s system.
“The biggest thing I have noticed that they have improved on is adjusting to my style of coaching and playing,” Lester said. “We have really focused on rotations and coverage areas and everyone knowing their place on the floor.”
Southern Gap will compete in the Southwest District, where the Eagles will face established programs with experience playing at a fast pace. Lester believes her team has the talent to adjust and compete immediately.
“Being in a new district, we will have to adjust to the speed of the game a little,” Lester said. “I think the girls will adjust quickly and be really successful.”
Lester is not treating the inaugural season as a rebuilding year. She has seen enough ability during the summer and preseason to expect the Eagles to compete.
“My expectations are high, as they always are,” Lester said. “I know the talent and ability this team has, so I expect them to compete and do really well in the SWD.”
The coach wants the Eagles to become known for more than their place in school history. She wants the first Southern Gap team to establish a reputation for toughness, effort and unity.
“I hope this team will be known for overcoming adversity and change and showing everyone that they can become one team and one family in a beautiful way,” Lester said. “Being the first-ever volleyball team in Southern Gap history is something that they will be known for from now on. I want them to be known for playing hard, never backing down and always giving everything they have every game.”
Nerves will naturally be present when the Eagles take the court for the first varsity match in school history, but Lester expects the excitement surrounding the moment to take over.
“There will definitely be a lot of nerves, but more excitement than anything,” she said.
Wins and losses will help determine how Southern Gap’s first season is remembered. Still, Lester believes the team has already accomplished something meaningful by bringing players from across the county together.
“Beyond wins and losses, the girls themselves make this first season a success,” Lester said. “They have come together as one big family and truly embraced each other. They are such great kids on and off the floor, and seeing them adjust so well to this change has been wonderful to watch.”
The Eagles now hope the rest of Buchanan County will come together behind them.
“I am hoping that the community will come together to support these girls all season,” Lester said. “They have worked so hard and deserve a crowd at every game and all of the support in the world.”
Volleyball’s popularity continues to grow throughout the area, and Lester believes Southern Gap has a team capable of giving fans plenty of reasons to fill the stands.
“The community’s support means everything in high school sports,” Lester said. “These girls feed off of a crowd and energy from the bleachers. Come out and support them as much as you can because they are going to be fun to watch.”
For Griffey and the other members of the inaugural roster, the season will be about more than becoming the first Southern Gap volleyball team. It will be about determining what Southern Gap volleyball will represent.
Every victory, every rally and every tradition will begin with them.
