By Journalism student Lincoln N. and edited for clarity by New Life Academy.
New Life Academy girls’ volleyball recently came out on top in a crucial section final game against St. Croix Lutheran, sending the Eagles to the State tournament for the fourth season running. The number one seed NLA team was imperious from the get-go on Saturday as they swept the Crusaders. Despite Lutheran keeping all three sets close, there was a feeling of calm confidence that the Eagles would get the job done.
“We played 100 percent effort every single point. I feel like we really had relentless unity, which is our team saying,” reflects junior libero Ella S.
Junior hitter Alexa L. led the effort for New Life, with her 12 kills providing the foundation they needed to secure the win at the section final game in Forest Lake. This game was certainly a tale of self sacrifice as three different players recorded ten or more digs in a strong defensive display.
Given the success of the program over the last several years, going to State is something many would expect for the girls. This season, however, presented a lot of uncertainty for the program, as it was New Life’s first time playing Class AA volleyball.
Ella continues, “I feel like playing the same teams for our conference and our section really helps us. Now that we’re in AA, we’ve already played these teams one time and that gives us an advantage.”
Despite what could have been a turbulent transition, Coach Dede Lawson’s relatively young team has won every regular season game. The girls have shown extraordinary character and maturity to handle the move to AA and the tougher opponents that come with it. The Eagles have spent five of the eight weeks of the season ranked as number one in Class AA, and they spent the other three weeks narrowly in second. For the last three weeks straight, New Life has been firmly rooted in the top spot, and they will certainly be among the favorites at the Grand Casino Arena.
Senior captain Marisa M. says, “There’s going to be a lot of teams coming at us harder this year at State knowing that we bumped up from A to AA and having been ranked in the top of our class.”
The team is clearly recognized as a strong contender in their class, and they also rank fifteenth in the entire state. The girls have placed themselves amongst the top teams in both 3A and 4A with their dream season.
The Eagles are in possession of formidable attacking talent with captains Marisa and Ryleigh S. combining to provide over 600 kills this season alone. Dede’s all-star hitters have allowed New Life to put teams to the sword with ease, with seven wins from seven earning them their first-ever Skyline Conference Championship. Huge away wins at Concordia and Nova, as well as coming out on top of a five-set thriller against bitter rivals St. Croix Lutheran, sent the girls to the top of the conference.
It’s not just the incredible form of the captains that has seen the girls go undefeated in regular season play, with a record of 17-0. The consistent digs and passes of Ella and senior Jada M. enable the Eagles to suffocate opponents with an ongoing barrage of hits.
“Our hitters are all very consistent and know where to place the ball,” Ella explains. “Our back row never changing allows us to push and just get really good passes.”
New Life will go into the State tournament looking to go one step further. Although they’ve gone to State the last three years, the girls have yet to come out on top. One of the major issues at State last year was the trouble New Life had with serving. This year, the team has worked hard to ensure that won’t be a problem, with three different players boasting a serving percentage between 93 and 95.
We missed so many serves, but after doing all the drills Dede gave us, we’ve become much more consistent. Dede always says to just make sure it gets in and now serving is one of our strengths.
Jada M.
The integration of setter Vana J. into the team has proven essential for the Eagles, after she spent last season on JV due to transfer rules. She’s the team’s only setter and has already provided 859 assists, putting her second for most assists in a season in over five years.
The ruthless professionalism with which the Eagles dispose of their opposition should not be overlooked. The girls never had a home game go to five sets, and only three times did they have four-set games. Their ability to put games to bed early is something that Eagles fans can get excited about. They play with a strong confidence that demands respect and will hopefully help them to put their best foot forward at the State tournament.
Coach Dede’s star-studded lineup, led by senior captain and SDSU commit Marisa, will step onto the court next Thursday knowing they’ve got a huge opportunity to make history.
“We know that we’ve got the skill to beat any team. With State it’s all a mental game. It’s finding out who has the mental toughness to fight through the hardest games,” concludes Marisa.
