CHICKASHA —
Ashley Hannah, a three-year member of the Chickasha High School volleyball team, and Raven LeBlanc, a relatively new player, were honored Monday night before playing the last home match of their high school careers.
Hannah was the only senior on the squad for much of the season, and brought consistency every day she showed up to practice or play.
"She's just been steady for three years now," head coach Nancy Waters said. "She held her own with that group last year, and did a great job, and she's just been the leader of this group."
Hannah is the daughter of Royce and Lisa Hannah, and has two siblings, Dustin and Elizabeth Holt.
Currently undecided on the school, Hannah said she does want to attend college at either the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond or the Oklahoma City campus of Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in mechanical or electric engineering.
LeBlanc joined the Lady Chicks mid-season, and brought with her a level of intensity that the program needed.
"I've got a bunch of girls that their personality is very mild and laid back," Waters said. "And Raven's is not mild and laid back. She's been good for us, that they need to see that drive and that want-to. That's how you have to play, with that kind of aggression."
During the last game of the match, Waters gave LeBlanc a chance to serve for the first time this season.
"In practice, she cannot get that serve in," Waters said with a laugh. "She was like 'Coach Waters, can I serve? I got it Friday'. First one, just as hard and flat as you've ever seen. It was a good moment for her to get that serve in on senior night."
Waters said LeBlanc and Hannah have complemented each other well this season with their differing personalities.
"[Ashley] is just a lot more mild-mannered than Raven is, and they're a balance to each other," Waters said.
Lady Chicks can't keep up with athletic Eagles
The Lady Chicks varsity lost to Lawton Eisenhower in three games Monday night at home, unable to avenge a loss to the Lady Eagles earlier this month at the Chickasha Tournament.
Eisenhower won the match 9-25, 14-25 and 20-25. Chickasha's record this season is now 5-19.
In the first game, Chickasha kept close unitl the game was tied at 4-4. The Lady Eagles then went on a 15-1 run and Chickasha never recovered.
The Lady Chicks played progessively better in each of the next two games, but it wasn't enough to overcome the superior hitting of Lawton Eisenhower.
Once again, giving up big runs cost Chickasha in a match, a problem Waters said she hasn't been able to find a solution to.
"That's what we've done all year long," Waters said. "We're there, we're there, and then all of a sudden it's just like we just go away. We quit passing, we quit talking and quit swinging."
Waters said she warned her team beforehand not to make it easy for Eisenhower to set up its hitters, but the Chicks were not successful in doing that.
"We talked for three days about how you cannot put a ball short against Deer Creek and Lawton Eisenhower, because if you do, they are going to make you eat it," Waters said. "And that's exactly what happened. We were okay, and then we made two bad passes, and they put one down on the floor against us, and we went 'Oh no, not again'."
The difference between this match and the Sept. 8 match against Eisenhower was confidence, said Waters.
"They played with confidence in the tournament," Waters said. "We played with no confidence tonight in the first game. We got a little bit in the second game, and you saw confidence in the third game, and it was 20-25."
Chickasha was unable to get many kills against the Lady Eagles, with only three in the match. Alei Gann had one kill to go along with six digs, three aces and two assists, and Chloe Reyes had two kills, one assist and two digs.
Hannah had ten digs and one block, and Rory Troub had nine digs.
The Chickasha junior varsity lost a close match earlier in the evening, losing two games to one. The Lady Eagles won the first game 25-19, and Chickasha won the second 25-14. But, Chickasha got down early in the deciding third game and lost 15-10.
The Lady Chicks played their last regular season match Tuesday night at Capitol Hill High School. Regionals start Oct. 2, with Chickasha playing at Christian Heritage Academy.
