The Farmer volleyball team currently sits in the top four of the district, which would put them into the playoffs if they maintain their spot. However, looming threats from Guyer and other schools puts a playoff spot in jeopardy.
“This year has been such a high for me as a coach,” assistant coach Ryan Schultheis said. “We have put in so much effort, time and dedication to these girls over the past two to four years. We are in uncharted waters this year, saying that we haven’t been in a place to compete for playoffs or this successful, overall. We’re not done yet, but a feeling of accomplishment and pride seem to be at the top of the list this year.”
The volleyball team showed improvement from last year, so far improving to a 19-17 record on the season. This comes as the team had a 10-28-1 record last year.
“It definitely feels good,” senior outside hitter Milan Norman said. “Especially for me being on the team for quite some time now. But I think it shows how much we’ve worked for it and how long we’ve worked for it to go like this. I’m most proud of the records that will be broken and just how well we still hold chemistry together right now.”
Senior Shannon Skinner reached the 500 career kill mark this season and since then, she has improved her total kill mark to 696. Sophomore Aubrey Dean has her career assist mark at 874, which has her on pace for 1,000 total career assists by the end of her high school career. The Farmers also broke a 10-year losing streak to Marcus High School on Sept. 13, sweeping the Marauders in three sets. They also beat them in that same fashion on Oct. 8.
“One of our very first district games was Marcus,” junior Natalya Becker. “Not only was that one of our first wins, but we’ve never really beat them before. That just proved we can do something we’ve never done.”
In the six games the team lost in district play, five came to district opponents – Hebron, Coppell and Flower Mound. These three schools hold the first three district spots, with Hebron also ranked number 16 in 6A. Eleven losses came to out of district opponents in the beginning of the season. Despite this, Lewisville maintains a .528 record.
But with a second loss to Coppell, the path to the playoffs became tougher. The Farmers winning out guarantees a playoff spot. A loss to Hebron but a win against both Guyer and Little Elm sends Lewisville to the playoffs. According to the UIL volleyball manual, a district and head to head tie between Guyer and Lewisville would result in a one off playoff game for the last playoff spot.
“I believe every down we’ve been through happens for a reason,” Dean said. “It matters how we come back from it and the way we respond. If one of us struggles, we all struggle. We pick each other up no matter what happens. I am most proud of how much time and effort everyone put in, during the summer and practice – even with our team bonding dinners. It proves how much one cares about a team. It makes me so proud to see my best friends evolve into something they never thought they could’ve.”
