Lady Trojans leave today for state tourney

Since the beginning of the high school volleyball season, the DHS Lady Trojans have been a work in progress.

With several key players returning off of last year's district champion squad, head coach Sarah Morris thought her squad would do well. What Morris didn't realize when the season began was where the team is today -- heading to Murfreesboro to play for a state title.

"This whole season has been amazing. The girls have worked extremely hard to get better, and now I think they are seeing that their hard work and conditioning early in the season has paid off," said Morris. "In the beginning they didn't like me very much with all the things we were doing to get in shape, but now they are all smiling."

Dyersburg (24-7) will depart to day for the TSSAA State Tournament being held at the Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU. Prior to leaving, a pep rally will be held at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the DHS gym. Dyersburg City Mayor John Holden is scheduled to present the team with a proclamation before the squad leaves for Murfreesboro.

To get to the big dance, Dyersburg relied heavily on the services of Shelby Andrews, Anna Claire Bradshaw, Mary Jewels Baker, Rachel Gauldin, Lauren Lewis, Amber Moody and Erin Pierce.

Don't let the pretty smiles fool you, when these girls take the floor it's all business. Tabbed the 'Super Seven', all of the players have had a lot to do with the success seen this season.

"This group has gelled together and played as a team very well. They all have a responsibility on the floor, and they all handle their positions well because they work as a team and not as individuals."

Now, a look at the 'Super Seven' as seen through Morris's eyes:

Anna Claire Bradshaw --"Big hitter. She's left-handed and when she is on we're going to have a good day. She can hit to the left or the right depending on where the ball is set. Defensively, we really need her to block."

Rachel Gauldin -- "She never, ever quits on a point. Whether it's defensively or on offense she is a go-getter from the word go. In the district and region championships, Rachel is the girl that won both of the final sets with laser kills. She is our go-to girl."

Shelby Andrews --"Raw power. It might not be graceful but she flat-out knocks the mess out of the ball. She is intimidating and I've even seen when she goes to the net for a kill, girls actually back up. A solid, all-around player on offense, defense and has a great serve as well."

Mary Jewels Baker -- "I can honestly say that we would not be in this position if she was not our libero. From her hips down she is just one big bruise because she spends so much time focusing on digs and she will do whatever it takes to win."

Amber Moody -- "Her serve is the first thing that comes to mind, but there's more to her game than the serve. She's a good defensive player, she reads the hit well, moves her feet really well and gets behind everything she hits."

Erin Pierce -- "She's our go-to girl the first couple of plays. She sees the court really well and does a great job of hitting the ball where nobody can get it. As far as blocking, there are very few hitters that she can't block. She's tall and lanky, but she is a spitfire that plays with a lot of energy."

Lauren Lewis -- "Without Lauren we wouldn't have an offense, plain and simple. She runs everything and she feeds the girls that are hot. Her placement has been so much better this year than last season. Very rarely does the ball go where she doesn't want it to and she's worked hard to become better and it's worked."

This season is Morris's second as head coach of the squad that is one of 12 remaining in the entire state, something she says is great but also carries a lot of pressure.

"It's kind of scary actually. I kind of feel like we're the Cinderella team because people didn't expect us to be able to beat Crockett County. We did that and then we beat South Side in the region after losing to them twice during the regular season," added Morris. "I feel like people expect us to keep on winning and that's something we want to give them, and that is a lot of pressure, but we've handled it so far."

Being one of 12 teams still playing is an achievement in itself, but with the support of the community as well as having a talented roster, the final point could result in a state championship for the 'Super Seven' and their teammates.