Cavaliers Volleyball Playing For Seniors

The Cookeville Cavaliers Volleyball team will carry a district championship to Blackman for round one of the Regional Semifinals Monday.

It has been over a month since the 20-3 Cavs last dropped a match. Head Coach Staci Weigand said the team is peaking at the right time. Senior and co-captain Kallie Clark said the success comes from the team’s awareness of the seniors limited time remaining on the team.

“I think with it definitely being our last year, we’re trying to go as far as we can,” Clark said. “So, with their being six seniors, that’s a lot of energy because we all want to keep going as far as we can. And then I know our juniors, they’re like our best friends so they don’t want us to leave. They don’t want us to leave, so they’re trying to let us go as far as we can too.”

The team did not lose any seniors in 2023, so this year, the seniors have been looked upon as leaders on and off the court. Weigand said since this is kind of like their second year as seniors, she has complete trust in riding with them.

“It’s helpful for us to have our strongest out on the court the entire time,” Weigand said. “These girls know how to put the ball away. They know what to do with it and they know almost like what the girl next to them is thinking or doing as well. So, they have a really top notch team chemistry that’s hard to beat.”

Senior and co-captain Anica Cobb agreed with her coach and said that without the bonds between teammates, this season would not have turned out this way.

“I’d say it’s super important to make sure you’re friends outside of just volleyball,” Cobb said. “Because if you’re not friends outside of the court, there’s no way that your chemistry is going to be good on the court.”

Weigand said the team is practicing hard on further fortifying their strengths ahead of Monday’s match with Blackman.