A class of their own

A class of their own

Marion seniors have fun on and off the court

Sports Editor In most people’s day-today lives, there’s a time for fun and there’s a time for business.

Usually, the two are kept separate, but for the past several years, the eight senior members of the Marion High School Lady Patriots volleyball team, have been able to do both at the same time.

Take for instance a question posed about which player was the best-dressed on the team during a preseason interview, the teamwork was evident.

“Well, Annalee (Parker) always dresses up, no matter what’s going on,” says classmate Hope Phipps.

“Yeah, like we’ll get back late from a game out of town somewhere like Mountain Home, and we’re all at school in a hoodie and shorts, everyone else has their hair up in a bun, you know? And she’s decked out in a dress,” confirms Sarah Burford.

Good-natured ribbing aside, the crew of Burford, Parker, Phipps, Ally Bramucci, Gabi Catt, Sara Betts, Maggie Aureli and manager Bo Triplett is pretty serious when they share the volleyball court.

In their two seasons of varsity play, the Class of 2017 has been successful to say the last. Marion has posted records of 24-7 and 32-4 while advancing to Class 6A state finals in each season, while capturing last season’s title. It was the third state championship in the school’s history.

“It’s been amazing,” says Betts, who committed to play volleyball at Arkansas State University over the summer. “I feel like we’ve grown so much as a team, but as individuals, as well.” “I think it’s really special to get to play with your best friends and it’s even better when your best friends are pretty good volleyball players,” says the stylish Parker, who will continue her volleyball career at Murray State University.

In a lot of ways, the success of Marion’s senior group began in the fall of 2013 when these eight girls were freshmen in junior high. That season, Marion finished 32-0 overall, while winning all 60 sets that they participated in, rolling to district titles in the regular season and the postseason.

“I remember that year, because they’d get down and a few times you may even think that they were going to drop a game somewhere, but the next thing you know, Ally’s back there serving, or they’re digging everything up and now they’re winning,” says Lisa Beasley, Marion’s head volleyball coach.

Beasley is entering her 21st season as a head volleyball coach, all at Marion, and while she has been around some great players and seen some outstanding teams, she admits that there’s something different about her 2017ers.

“They’re just so unique, and I mean all of them,” Beasley says. “Every, single one of them has something to offer and does so much for the team and for each other. They compliment one another, their styles compliment one another. They just gel, they make sense.”

That camaraderie is apparent to anyone that has seen them play, but the players themselves also acknowledge that it’s a key motivating factor.

“It’s helped us in that we’ve played together for so long, that we know if someone is down or struggling on the court, because we know how to pick each other up,” explains Bramucci.

“I think that’s one of the things that drives us the most,” admits Parker. “Our foundation is love, and I think when that’s the case, it takes you to a whole different level.” “A lot of people stop hanging out when the season is over, but I see these people everyday,” says Phipps, drawing a laugh from her teammates.

While it’s clear that these eight are friends and seem to be on the same page, it hasn’t changed their motivation, at least not according to Catt, Marion’s No. 17.

“We just want to win another ring,” says Marion’s fiery front-liner.

Marion opens its 2016 volleyball season with a senior high jamboree at home on August 18 at 5:30 p.m. The regular season opener will be a contest on the road against potential league heavyweight Greene County Tech on August 23 at 4:30 p.m.

Note: This was the second of a three- part series detailing Marion volleyball that has ran throughout the past week. Part three will be a season and team preview and will run in Friday’s edition of The Evening Times.

By Chuck Livingston