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Losing Danielle Albury will hurt, but Seven Rivers returns every other player on the team.
By KRISTEN LEIGH PORTER
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 2002
Those in attendance at Saturday's region semifinal got a glimpse into the past, present and future of Seven Rivers Christian volleyball.
Lining up on the endline before the match were a senior, a junior, four sophomores, a freshman, an eighth-grader and two seventh-graders.
At the other end of the court were eight upperclassmen and six freshmen and sophomores from the team ranked No. 1 in the Class A poll, Gainesville Oak Hall.
Although No. 3 Seven Rivers lost 15-7, 15-4, its lone senior, Danielle Albury sees only success ahead for her teammates.
"After the game when the girls were looking like they were about to cry, I was like, "You guys, I don't think they were better than us. I just think they had more experience than we do,"' Albury said.
"And in a couple years that won't be the case because those girls will have grown up playing volleyball since they were in seventh grade and they'll be ready for anything that comes to them," she said.
Although Albury was the leading blocker (161) and had more kills (458) than her teammates combined this season, a strong nucleus will return.
Sophomore Alice Zeiss, who led the team in assists and was second in kills, said Saturday's match was good preparation for the 2003 campaign.
"I think it was good and then next year if we get this far we'll have some experience and we won't get so freaked out," Zeiss said.
The Warriors (28-2) got to Saturday's region semifinal because they were able to grow up fast.
Even without a line-up set, the potential was evident in the season opener, which Seven Rivers won 15-9, 8-15, 15-13 against Orlando Faith Christian.
The Warriors won the next 10 matches before suffering their lone regular-season loss against Lecanto 11-15, 8-15, although they took the next meeting 15-12, 15-13.
Seven Rivers also notched two victories apiece against Hernando and Central, and one each against playoff participant Crystal River and Citrus. Nine of the Warriors' matches went three games.
Understandably, Seven Rivers coach Scott Lyons is "extremely excited" about the future of the program. Barring incoming transfers, back-row specialist Amy Cortese will be the only senior next year.
Lyons hopes next season's squad will be tested against perennial power Oak Hall sooner rather than later.
"How about Oak Hall saying, 'We're going to have to play a team like Seven Rivers,' because we have such a young program and there's so much talent in it," Lyons said.
"They're going to graduate four big seniors so I'd be looking forward to playing them during the regular season and the postseason. I'm going to try to get them scheduled."
Even after Saturday's loss, Lyons was already thinking ahead.
Freshman Lacey Lyons, who was second in blocks and third in kills, and sophomore Rachel Ebert, fourth in kills, will play bigger roles.
Lyons also has plans for seventh-grade starter Rachael Capra to replace Albury in his 6-2 offense as a setter/hitter along with Zeiss.
Three junior high players, including Capra, gained valuable repetitions in practice and games this season against players up to six years their senior.
"I think we're going to do okay without (Danielle Albury) because Alice is a terrific player and so is Amy," Capra said. "I'm probably going to get taller as I get older so I'll probably be able to spike it better than I do now.
"Next year, I'll be used to anything that they're going to spike at me or anything like that. My passing was kind of bad but my last game against Oak Hall it was better than usual."
Although it was a nerve-wracking experience at times, Capra made 91 percent of her serves, and tied for the team lead in aces with 61.
Capra said she hit her first serve Saturday too hard because she wanted to win so badly.
Beyond the winning and losing, Lyons said the school's message was spread through its volleyball team. Local interest was evident at Saturday's match, he said.
"I noticed there were representatives from Citrus, Lecanto and Crystal River, so Seven Rivers Christian has brought the community together," Lyons said.
-- Kristen Leigh Porter can be reached at porter@sptimes.com or 564-3628.