When the 2024 volleyball season rolled around, Davie’s girl’s volleyball team expected nothing less than another year of wins, some losses, and learning lessons. By the end of the season, Davie High ranked #3 at regionals. However, this ranking does not account for the growth and work put in by this team of girls.
The season did not have the kick-off expected, their first match being a loss against East Surry from 3-0. Junior and middle blocker Mackenzie Burrows admits that the pre-season started off “a little rough” but goes on to say that “I feel like each game we all took a step up, and we all grew as players and as a team!”.
Mallorie Brown is a senior and defensive specialist who has been playing volleyball since she was only in 3rd grade at the Davie Rec Center. She stated that she has no plans to pursue volleyball in college, but she did have a piece of advice to offer to her teammates: “Play with your heart and leave it all on the court!” Brown agreed, like many others, that the senior season coming to an end was bittersweet, but on reflection, she spoke highly of her team.
“I’m so grateful I got to finish my season out with the best group of seniors and teammates!” Brown said.
Team captain Addi Wilson, a senior, is both a middle blocker and opposite hitter. Wilson found herself satisfied with the way the season ended. When asked if there was any wisdom she could share with underclassmen moving up in volleyball, Wilson emphasized the importance of valuing relationships with your team members.
“My advice to underclassmen teammates is to cherish the time on the team they have,” Wilson said.
For many of the girls on this team, this season was personal, especially senior Cora Nicholson. It being her last year on the team, there were a lot of mixed feelings about the way things played out. Her first year in volleyball began in the 6th grade at Ellis Middle and concluded this year. She came to many revelations about herself.
“This season, and Davie volleyball, has challenged me,” Nicholson said. “There were times I would get discouraged, but I kept pushing. I learned that I was stronger than I knew.” Of course, there were takeaways that came from teammates and interactions too. “This team has taught me that trusting in your teammates is important. Have fun; treat your teammates with love and compassion. Come in and value your time in the gym every day, because this experience is temporary.”
The team concluded the season with a record typical of other years, going 9-5 in the conference. The season included a number of neck-and-neck matches, like a 3-2 loss against Ashe County, but also surprising reversals from previous seasons. Last year, the team dominated West Forsyth 3-1 in their first matchup. By contrast, this year saw the team fall to the Titans 3-0. While not every game was a win for home, these girls ranked 3rd in their end-of-season conference, sliding just below the Titians and their 13-1 record.
The 2024 volleyball season was not necessarily unlike the rest in terms of scores and ranking. However, the girls on this team were able to band together and form relationships with one another that will last even after the final game is called. If anyone can learn anything from these players it should be that the numbers do not account for the family found on and off the court.
