Cheers, hugs and smiles are shared among the champions. The Lady Spartans bask in their win, one captain Alaya Rhodes (12) is named MVP.
On Sept.28, Lady Spartans volleyball beat Germantown High School in three sets to win their city championship game. Rhodes has been playing volleyball since she was six years old. After watching her older siblings play, she decided to follow in their footsteps. Now grown up, she plays outside hitter and defensive specialist.
“As [my siblings] were in practice, I started practicing,” Rhodes said. “I [would get] a ball and pass on the wall.”
Volleyball is more than just a sport for Rhodes. For her, it is a source of both community and passion.
“Volleyball, for me, is not just a sport I do to pass the time,” Rhodes said. “It helps me go through life.”
The volleyball team has two captains. Unlike some sports, the coach evaluates potential captains and names them based on their contributions to the team. Rhodes is known by her teammates as someone who brings energy and is dependable.
“If we are in a situation, she is our go-to player,” Kiersten Armour (10) said. “We know she is going to get the job done.”
From the captain’s perspective, the team played strong. Although they were able to relax at certain points of the game because of their lead, Rhodes tried to make sure they kept their heads in the game.
“We definitely brought the energy,” Rhodes said. “Once we got our groove, it was an easy game.”
Rhodes not only contributed her leadership skills during the game but also her skills in the sport. As a well-rounded player, she was able to score from every position she played, regardless of if it was offense or defense.
“She has been in the game for a really long time,” Armour said. “She knows what she’s doing.”
The 2023 season was different from others in the past. Usually, the varsity line up is made of seniors and juniors, but this season it primarily featured seniors and freshmen. As a captain, it was Rhodes’s job to help the younger players adjust to playing at the high school level; she does this by leading by example.
“She [helps with] confidence in my hits. If she missed a hit, she would not give up,” Jaden Brown (9) said. “She was never upset about it.”
Rhodes plans to continue her passion for volleyball past high school, either recreationally or professionally.
“I might do beach volleyball,” Rhodes said. “I could definitely see myself doing that.”
