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Orlando 2023 Day 2

Tuesday 27 June 2023

It was a tough day: the girls went 0-3, and what’s worse, they were all straight-set defeats. I know it had to be frustrating: of the three teams they played, only one should have been truly hard to defeat. The other two teams, our girls essentially beat themselves. They would get a lead, then give it right back. Once they gave the lead back, the teams would just trade points until the end, something that, if it had happened when our girls had the lead, would have resulted in wins.

All that to say, only one team blew them out of the water; the other teams just barely beat them in each set — nearly as close as possible. Of those four sets, they lost three of them 22-25 and the fourth one 23-25. In each of those four sets, they had the lead at some point. In one set they had a five-point lead; in another set, they had an eight-point lead. That had to be frustrating for them.

After a few hours’ break and a nap for L, we met up with most of the other team families for a team dinner.

Orlando 2023 Day 1

Monday 26 June 2023

The girls split their games today. They played one team from Charlotte who has beaten them three times this season. Our girls took the first set, and we up 6-1 in the second set, but the other team really kicked into gear and took the second set. We won’t talk about the third set…

Discovery of the day: scooters for rent, which is how we traveled back to the hotel from the tournament. (We’re only about a mile away from the convention center, so I dropped the Girl off this morning and then drove back to the hotel and walked.) Second discovery of the day: the scooters weren’t as cheap as we’d calculated…

As for the Boy, I got a picture from his troop leader:

Since he’s in his Class A uniform, I’m assuming this was actually from yesterday.

“He doesn’t look thrilled,” K texted.

“None of them do,” I replied.

Hopefully, he’s doing well.

Two Departures

Sunday 25 June 2023

The Boy left for Scout camp today:

I’ve been a little curious and worried about how he might take it: he’s not actually going with his own troop because his uncle is coming from Poland with his family that week. “There’s no way you’re going to camp while Wojek D is here!” K exclaimed, so the Boy is going with a different troop. He knows a few people in that troop, but it’s not his troop. He chose the troop he did because he wants to be with his friends, the friends who are going to Scout camp a couple of weeks from now.

The Girl and I, on the other hand, headed off to Orlando today for Nationals. How will her team do? I don’t know. Is that so important? Yes, and no.

What is important? Our TV greeted us when we first entered the room…

Vertical

Sunday 26 March 2023

This week, the Girl got what we hope was the first of several emails from college coaches who’ve seen her play at a tournament and are interested in recruiting her. Unfortunately, it’s a liberal arts school and so doesn’t fit into her plans to go into genetic engineering. But still, interest is interest.

One thing the Girl is lacking, though, is current stats, so we worked on that today. What is her blocking vertical? What is her hitting vertical? We had last year’s numbers, but we needed current numbers.

Let’s just say she’s improved…

Rings

Tuesday 7 February 2023

Sunday

Sunday 22 January 2023

The girls won the bronze bracket.

We went to visit family.

A good Sunday overall.

Greenville News Video

Monday 16 January 2023

Discovered a video from the local paper about L’s high school’s big state championship win. And there on the thumbnail is the Boy.

City Hall Recognition

Monday 21 November 2022

The Mauldin City Council invited the girls to a meeting for special recognition of their achievement: the first state volleyball title in program history, the first state title for the school since 2018, and the first Greenville County School state championship since 2013.

“They look awfully nice,” the mayor quipped, “but just don’t get on the other side of the net with them.”

Recognition

Saturday 12 November 2022

The local hockey team, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, invited the Mauldin girls to come out for some recognition of their achievement of winning the state championship.

They pulled off a last-minute (truly) goal to tie the game at 2 before scoring the winning goal shortly after overtime began.

“We’re their good luck charms!” the Girl proclaimed.

Guitar with The Boy

Thursday 10 November 2022

When I was the Boy’s age, I had no interest in guitar. When I was the Girl’s age, my conception of volleyball was limited to what we played in gym class.

The Boy and I played guitar tonight for a while. The Girl went to sign documents for her fourth club season.

My life as a kid and theirs could not be more different in many ways. And that’s a good thing.

State Champions

Saturday 5 November 2022

From our local paper:

Mauldin volleyball tops Lexington to win 1st volleyball state championship in school history

COLUMBIA –– With the first volleyball state championship in Mauldin High School history within the Mavericks’ grasp, Jurnee Robinson refused to let up.

It was the third set and her team led Lexington 2-0. Robinson slid to save a ball that nearly fell out of bounds. It would’ve given Lexington a point, then she dove for another dig to keep a ball alive, allowing Mauldin to get a point and take an 11-5 lead in the set.

As she huddled with her teammates when the play was over, she pointed at them and smiled.

She knew ‒ they all knew ‒ that history was within reach.

Saturday night at Dreher High School in Columbia, Mauldin volleyball made about as much history as possible, adding to an already historic season. The Mavericks pummeled Lexington in a three-set sweep, 25-22, 25-22, 25-18 to win the first volleyball state championship in school history.

“It’s amazing,” Robinson, the Mavericks leader with 25 kills Saturday, said. “I feel like people have always doubted Mauldin volleyball and for us this year to win it, win it all after we didn’t start off too strong … it feels good.”

It was Mauldin’s first appearance in the state championship match after Tuesday was the program’s first volleyball state semifinal win. The Mavericks are also the first Greenville County public school to win a volleyball title since Hillcrest in 2013.

“It’s kind of hard to put all the words together and make them all make sense at one time,” Mauldin coach Val Thoms told reporters. “But holy crap, is it awesome.”

Mauldin’s dominant run ends with history

Mauldin volleyball was swept last season in the third round by Dorman, last season’s Class AAAAA state champions. The Mavericks beat Dorman in four sets to get to the state title game – and the process of building up Mauldin’s program to a state title winner, Thoms said, has been different each season.

“It’s been a process,” Thoms said. “Each year we get better and then its’, ‘how can we keep getting better and how do we learn and grow …’ And each year it’s been a different type of lesson to learn.

“The process (to get here) has been challenging but has been very rewarding.”

Mauldin finished its season with a 32-7 overall record and a region championship. The Mavericks only dropped one set in the entire postseason, which came in the Upper State Championship against Dorman.

“Just coming together, working as a team on and off court,” Robinson said. “It just takes everything … it’s not just about playing volleyball, it’s a team effort.”

Lexington struggles to contain Mauldin offense

Mauldin got out of the gates in the first set with a 6-2 lead. Robinson had 11 kills in the first set, but Lexington tied it at 11-11 before Mauldin finished off the Wildcats in the first set by running off six straight points to lead 17-11 and then take the set 25-22.

It set the tone for an impressive match by Mauldin. The Mavericks seemed to do little wrong and Lexington struggled to stop the Maverick offense. Despite Lexington showing a lot of fight, Mauldin never trailed until the Wildcats took a 11-10 lead in the second set ‒ it was the only time that Mauldin trailed in the match.

Senior Anna Schneider tallied eight kills, sophomore Sarina Galyean had 11 kills. Robinson and Schneider each had 13 digs, senior libero Ella Leister had 12, as well. The team’s fourth senior, Allison Norris, had six digs.

“It feels great, you know,” Robinson said. “We’ve been working for this for so long.”

Greeville News

Very proud of our girl and her team. More to come later. But for now — the moment I could watch over and over…

Autumnal Wednesday

Wednesday 2 November 2022

It’s All Souls’ Day, so visiting Nana’s and Papa’s grave is of course in order. We would have visited yesterday but for the fact that the Girl was playing in the state semifinals, and our whole evening was a tangle.

Their win made the local paper:

Mauldin volleyball tops Dorman, wins first Upper State Championship in program history

For the first time in school history, Mauldin volleyball will play in the SCHSL state championship game.

The words that described what it felt like were hard to find, Mauldin volleyball coach Val Thoms said as her team celebrated on the court.

But there is one word to describe what Mauldin volleyball did Tuesday night:

Historic.

At home inside the Mauldin High School gymnasium the Maverick girls volleyball team defeated powerhouse Dorman 3-1 to win the Class AAAAA Upper State Championship and advance to the SCHSL state championship game for the first time in program history.

Mauldin plays the winner of Wando and Lexington — the Lower State champion — at 7 p.m. Saturday at Dreher High School in the state title game.

Students, coaches and parents swarmed the court as soon as the final point was scored.

“It’s phenomenal,” Mauldin senior Jurnee Robinson said. “We’ve been trying for this the past four years. We just feel like now is our time and we’re going to win it. We’re going to give it all we got.”

Mauldin senior Anna Schneider said it was important for her team to finally get past the Cavaliers, who swept their postseason competition en route to the AAAAA state championship last season. That included a third-round playoff win over the Mavericks (31-7).

“It’s so surreal,” Schneider said. “It was so great playing on our home court, that meant so much to us. Those long years that we’ve lost to them … it really means a lot to get over this hump and be a great team.

“It just means so much. I literally can’t put it in to words.”

Robinson set the tone early and throughout the match. Her six kills in the first set allowed the Mavericks to take the set 25-18. The LSU volleyball commitment and 2021 all-state selection had 485 kills entering Tuesday’s state semifinal match and finished with 28 kills. Schneider had 15 kills.

After winning the first set, Mauldin dropped the second, 25-21, and Dorman (31-6) seemed to rebound well. But Mauldin took the third set and then won the fourth set, 25-19, to clinch the win. Dorman was led in kills by Carly O’Brien, who had 14 total in the match.

“We just told them, just be patient,” Thoms said she told her team after dropping the second set. “And we have to serve the ball in more, pass a little better out of serve-receive and then when were in system … we can’t be stopped. So, just take a couple deep breaths … and win it with our offense.”

Last season, Dorman defeated River Bluff to win the AAAAA state championship for the first time since 2017. Paula Kirkland, Dorman’s legendary volleyball coach, has 14 state titles as head coach at Dorman and is one of two volleyball coaches in SCHSL history to win over 1,000 matches.

“It’s really kind of indescribable to be honest,” Thoms said. “I think its what this program needs – and what volleyball in this area needs. Because, Dorman is the name … I just think this proves; it doesn’t matter. We just go out, do your thing, be good athletes and anybody can beat anybody.”

Greenville News

It puts yesterday’s win in perspective.

In the evening, the Boy and I went swimming, taking one of his friends with us.

Highlight Reel

Sunday 30 October 2022

Despite battling illness and the MaxPreps top-ranked volleyball player in South Carolina, River Bluff pushed Mauldin to the limit in each of their 3 sets during Thursday’s Upper State Semifinal AAAAA State Playoff match. A mere 7 points separated the two teams in the 3 sets. Still, the Mavericks proved just a little too much for the Gators.

While all three sets saw numerous lead changes, River Bluff’s points seemed to come with more difficulty. When all was said and done, fans had been treated to a match between two of the best volleyball teams in the state. In fact, one could easily argue that the state’s top four AAAAA teams were competing in Thursday’s Upper State semifinals. While River Bluff’s season ended prematurely for Gator fans, the team can rest somewhat comfortably knowing they were a part of this elite group.

River Bluff Athletics