‘Everybody backs everybody’: How Springfield High volleyball captured elusive City title
Araya Garrison called it a blessing for good reason.
The Springfield High School senior middle hitter hammered the final kill in a 25-23, 25-13 Central State Eight Conference victory over Sacred Heart-Griffin at Willard Duey Gymnasium on Thursday, September 22.
She understandably basked in the team's first City title since 2014 after missing last season due to an ACL injury.
“I'm very excited right now,” Garrison said. “I'm very blessed to play right now just coming back from an injury.”
What’s new at SHS
The Senators (13-6 overall, 6-1 CS8) still possess versatile cousins Megan and Ruth Becker.
Megan buoys the offense as the team’s vocal senior setter and right-side hitter while Ruth is the prolific junior outside hitter and defensive specialist who generated 13 kills and 11 digs in Thursday’s raucous win, both team-highs.
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The rotation otherwise differs markedly from last year with a number of new sources filling the gaps. Other seniors include outside hitter Olivia Gumz, defensive specialist Claire Grossen and setter Sydney Devlin.
“Our relationship on and off of the court is incredible,” Megan said. “I also have a cousin (Ruth) on the team, so it really helps with the flow of the team, and then all of us are really close friends. We have great chemistry, so it's super easy to get excited and get the energy back up.”
‘So many options’
Garrison particularly strengthens the front row with her blocking alongside junior middle hitter Lila Ambrose. They combined for 11 blocks against SHG.
“These guys have worked hard all year,” SHS coach Bill Sturm said. “They're amazing. Everybody played together. We had little issues early on, but everybody steps up on this team. We have go-to players, but everyone makes a contribution to this thing.
“Sacred Heart's a great team, it's just we have so many options.”
Garrison, toting the City trophy, said she fits in the middle with her aggressiveness and length.
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“It was a little scary at first,” Garrison said of the rehabilitation, “but when I got my confidence back on the court, I was very excited to be back.”
Sturm described Garrison as a big lift.
“She's super consistent and she never gets down in her head,” Gumz added. “She messes up, we're like, ‘You're good, you've got this.' She's like, ‘That's my bad, I got it.’ She's got such good spirit and she comes back and she blocks the ball, hits the ball. She's just great all around.”
High energy throughout the team
Both Gumz and Garrison intend to play at the next level.
That’s why Gumz spurned the shortened 2021 spring high school season to focus on club volleyball instead.
“I'm so glad to be back,” Gumz said. “I missed my student section, I miss the energy, I miss all of the girls. They're all so much fun. We just had a great time out there.”
This group immediately connected at the start of the season, Gumz said.
“This is a big, big deal,” Gumz said of the City title. “We were coming in with so much confidence and the same confidence we had at the Rochester game (that SHS won 25-22, 17-25, 25-22) — tons of energy, tons of spirit. And when we came in, we were like, we've got to play hard, have some fun and let's do this thing, and that's exactly what we did out there.”
That spirit of camaraderie has been constant.
“We still have two Beckers, but it's the attitude,” Sturm said. “This is a team effort. Everybody backs everybody. There's no blame ever. It's, hey, you missed the ball and let's move on. And that's the attitude they kept.”
Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA volleyball: Garrison, Gumz make impact at Springfield High
