The Natchitoches Central Volleyball team could not be stopped as they continue to roll by, staying undefeated in district, by beating Parkway in three straight sets. The Lady Chiefs are currently (13-4) overall (7-0) district and looking to make a deep run to finish out the season strong. Just like many teams across the nation the Lady Chiefs are dealing with injuries and players going into quarantine but Coach Nikki Murphy knows “survival” is the game plan going into games while dealing with missing players. “Survival, being down five varsity players, four starters, three of which were seniors. Three of them are being quarantined and one girl broke her arm,” said Coach Murphy.
“We had some girls out of positions trying play around, so our game plan was survival.” Dealing with so many missing players can cause the flow and chemistry of the team to be off, but the players figured it out to get the win. Coach Murphy said she knew teamwork was going be the way her team would pull together for the win. Addie Teddie, the Lady Chief’s setter, led the way by finishing the night with 23 total assists. Des Robinson and Anna-Kate Arthur led in ills. Coach Murphy said she knew once her team found their flow then they would be unstoppable.
“It took the first set for them to figure out exactly where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing. They needed to find their flow and chemistry,” she said. “They are so used to playing with certain girls because they’ve been playing with them for four years, some of them, some three and some of them two but they’ve been playing just this year 16 games together. It took them a set for them to get flow and a rhythm with each other.”
Coach Murphy believes her team is peaking at the right time. Dealing with so many missing players can derail any team, but the Lady Chiefs are fighting hard to keep winning. “If I had to give it a grade as far as our girls playing. I thought they played fairly well. They started off slow, but I think we are peaking at just the right time which is what I was hoping and praying for at the beginning of the year for us to peak. With the quarantine and injury, but for them to be where they are at is just phenomenal,” said Coach Murphy.
“We had to fight tooth and nail to be where we are. Right now, we only have one senior on the court and the rest are all sophomores so for us to be where we are at is just phenomenal. It is a testimony to how hard they are playing this year. I mean they really want it this year.”