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La. (KALB) -A tough end to last season left the ASH Trojans volleyball team wanting more. This year, they are out to prove they can reach the top
“I think if we made it to state, that would be like a really big step, especially for ASH volleyball because we haven’t been a program for really that long,” said senior Marlie Fletcher
Coach Paris Babino-Washington said last season did not go as planned
“Last season was not what we had in store, you know, for us as coaches or for the girls,” Babino-Washington said. “The girls came in. We’re going to go to playoffs again because season before last we did. That was their mentality. They were more of disappointed because we had the talent. Sometimes we just couldn’t put that together. We know what adversity looks like. So we’ve been the team that was 26-4 going to playoffs, you know, and we’ve also been the team that had to compete with everybody.”
That mission already faces a major obstacle. Asbestos cleanup has locked the team out of their gym. Their rivals from across the Red River, the Pineville Rebels, are lending their gym for practices
“I love Pineville. I love the Pineville girls, but whenever it’s on that court, that’s when it gets serious,” said senior Keirra Aught. “But outside the court, I’m friends with most of them. It’s a beautiful thing to see that we can be friends and we can also be rivals. With them letting us use their court, I feel like that’s very helpful. We’re really grateful that we’re allowed to use their gym.”
Babino-Washington said the two programs have shared space before
“Last season, we didn’t get to play on ASH’s floor either because they were redoing the gym floor, so we had to practice here as well,” Babino-Washington said. “I think Coach O and I, we’ve always had that friendship where we show up for each other. We’ve been roommates on the same team together, so just to have that connection. If we didn’t have this connection, honestly, I don’t know where we’d be practicing. We know how to turn it on and off. When we see each other on game day, we’re like, okay, we’re rivals right now. I think the girls do a good job of doing that as well. You’re in the same gym with them. We’re learning how to play volleyball versus they’re not my enemy right now.”
Guiding the team through the unexpected are just three seniors, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in motivation and confidence
“Being a senior has definitely, like, opened me up more,” said senior Maddie Eskew. “Like, I feel like I’m able to, like, help talk to the younger girls and just, like, teach them things that I’ve learned. I like teaching them to be just, like, hardworking and, like, just put your all into volleyball. Like, volleyball is a very intense, like, hardworking sport. Like, you can’t give up. You can’t be lazy. We connect with each other on the court, but also off the court. We’re sisters. Just be there for each other, pick each other up. Really makes playing with each other on the court so much better.”
“Being a senior, I feel like for me means a lot because I’ve always had, like, some type of leadership,” Fletcher said. “It took a lot of learning, but to think that some of the girls, like, look up to me, like, I’m still improving every day. It means a lot.”
Beyond the wins, the Trojans hope to inspire more Rapides Parish schools to start programs and grow volleyball throughout central Louisiana
“Volleyball is not that big here,” Aught said. “Having another team that’s also growing with us, it allows us and allows volleyball in Cenla to grow bigger, allowing other schools like Tioga, Peabody, Bolton to get holes in their floor and allow other kids to play volleyball without having to transfer to Ash or Pineville.”
“It would be great, honestly,” Babino-Washington said. “Not even if it’s just high schools doing it, even if the middle schools can start doing it, or even the elementary kids can start doing it. That way, when they get to us, it’s not all about just teaching them the basics of volleyball and breaking it down. We can just start from, let’s run a system. Three passes in the back row. We don’t have to explain what that means. We could just build volleyball in Cenla. It’d be great.”
The Lady Trojans officially kick off their season against Wossman on Aug. 31
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