We all know that the best teams don’t always win state championships as those teams have to be really good and exceptionally talented in addition to being lucky at times.
The Signal Mountain Lady Eagles had a roller-coaster season from start to finish, but they were picked from the start as the team to beat in Class AA. Despite a few bumps along the way, the Lady Eagles finished strong as they played their best volleyball at the end that wrapped up with four straight wins in Murfreesboro and the earning of the team’s second state championship.
The Lady Eagles were loaded with talented players and had more than their share of taller girls who could really hit as hard as anyone. Throw in the fact that other players filled in the gaps when it counted most and the thought that there was no drama with this group and you have the ingredients for a championship team.
Jennifer Redman was the head coach for this year’s team, returning after a six-year break. She was also the coach in 2010 when the Lady Eagles won their last title, but this one might have been just a bit more special as her youngest daughter Emily was a senior on the team and just happened to earn MVP honors for her performance in the championship match.
Signal Mountain finished with 30 wins and just six losses. They were quite impressive in the state tournament as they won their first three matches with 3-0 sweeps before winning the last one, 3-1.
“I had been the head coach here for nine years before taking six years off, but to be able to coach with my daughter Emily on the team made it really special,” the coach said earlier this week at the end of a busy school day.
“This is an easy place to coach as there is tremendous support from the parents as well as the administration. This was a unique group of girls to be sure, but once I figured out everyone’s personalities and got them all in their right spot, it was fun and an awesome experience to be sure.
“All of these girls are really good volleyball players. I was really happy to see Emily win the MVP as it was nice to see all of her hard work finally pay off. But these girls had a goal from the first day of the season and they accomplished it. I could sense that they were there for a purpose. We spent most of that week together and there wasn’t a whole lot of cutting up and acting silly like teenaged girls are so prone to do.
“We took care of business and got to enjoy each other’s company, which made my job a whole lot less stressful. But these girls are all best friends and that made it even more rewarding,” the coach continued.
The leaders of this team got a chance to share their thoughts about the season and the state tournament specifically in the coaches’ office late last week.
“Winning was so big, but we knew what we were capable of doing, so we just had to prove it to ourselves,” said sophomore Becca Rogers, one of the hardest hitters on the team.
“We knew the quickest way to the Friday championship was winning every match up to that point as we didn’t want to get put in the loser’s bracket. But we just had to work together and play for each other. But I was in shock when the last point had been scored,” she smiled.
Emily Redman is a 5-9 senior who will continue her volleyball career at Alabama-Huntsville. She’s been a four-year starter, but really saved her best for last as she totally dominated that final match.
“It still doesn’t feel real. We had a great group of girls and what a wonderful way to end our season,” she said in her usual quiet tone.
“I couldn’t believe I was chosen as the MVP because it was such a team effort that anyone could have been picked, but I was ready to go when that final match began. We all wanted that gold trophy so we put it all on the court to win. I really didn’t have time to think about it being my final match,” Emily added.
Carlee Lowry is a 16-year-old junior who has been a starter for the past four years. She also played softball where she was a pitcher and third baseman. She too can hit as hard as anyone and has the ability to control her match from the right side of the front row.
“That was amazing as that’s what we were capable of doing. We were all best friends and there was never any drama. It was definitely fun as we knew what we were there to do. I was a little bit nervous at the start, but I had total confidence that we would pull through.
“There was a lot of emotion as you might expect and that other team wanted it just as bad as we did. But we knew this was it and had to stay calm before taking care of business,” she smiled.
Amelia Bustamante is another senior who transferred from Chattanooga Christian last year and wasn’t eligible until last year’s region tournament. She quickly made her presence felt with her serving, which was the difference in several matches in the tournament, including the final set of the last match.
“I was just a part-time starter, but I came in at the end when the score was tied. My heart was beating so hard as I just wanted to get the ball over the net. It’s always tough to beat the same team twice, but that’s what we did,” she recalled the repeat match with Valor College Prep, a new school located in Nashville.
“I’ve played with Emily since I was 11, but it still doesn’t feel real. I have been a hitter my whole life, but I’m also a team player who was willing to do what was necessary to win. But right now, it’s hard to imagine my life without volleyball,” she said, admitting that she would not play volleyball in college either at Alabama or Ole Miss.
Addy Jones is another senior who played an integral part in the team’s success. She’s a four-year starter who started playing in the sixth grade. Winning a state title was definitely something she will never forget.
“It is definitely mixed emotions as our team was better than ever there at the end. We had good team dynamics, but we also had talent and we perservered the entire times,” she said in a quiet tone.
“I was just grateful to be able to play at the state tournament again. We got a little rattled in that last match, but were still able to come away with the win. I think nerves played a part, but it was really a lot of relief to win. I had tears streaming down my face when we scored the 23rd point as I knew what was coming,” she recalled the feeling when that last point had been scored.
Elle Ramsey is a 16-year-old junior who will be 17 on Nov. 13. It was certainly an experience she’ll never forget.
“What a perfect ending as we all had so much fun. We had a great season, but we worked so hard and so long to be able to win the state as we knew it was possible. We were all pretty confident, but we just had to pull it off. Losing was not an option, but winning that championship was a highlight of my life,” she nodded.
Dillia Lowry is an 18-year-old senior and Carlee’s older sister. She didn’t play volleyball her freshman year as she played soccer where she got to celebrate a state title with her older sister Briley. Now she gets to share a second state title with another sister.
“That was one of my best moments ever on Friday afternoon. We knew we had the potential to win, but that was a now or never moment for all of us. We had such high energy, but what an awesome experience. It was so intense, but we just had to lock in,” she said while admitting that she may run track in the spring.
Sydney Smith is a junior who has been a three-year starter in the sport, but only a starter for one year at Signal Mountain after moving here from Arizona.
“It’s taken a while for it all to sink in, but we played together and were on the same page. I had so much fun with these girls as we all connected from the very start. I think we were all a little nervous as that team made some adjustments, but we were ready,” she said.
Volleyball season is now over for local high schools in Chattanooga. Sale Creek and Cleveland joined Signal Mountain as state champions. Having that championship experience may never happen again, but it’s something they will remember for a long, long time.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)