By Calin Ratlief
When junior defensive player Erica Carroll was diagnosed with a concussion after getting hit in the nose during a tough varsity volleyball match against the Hermitage Panthers, she was required to sit out for 20 days. She said those twenty days felt like a century.
“Watching my team play and knowing I couldn’t play with the team is the worst pain I felt through my entire injury,” Erica said.
Art teacher and coach Krysta Stanko said that it was hard losing Erica because she was the team’s strongest passer.
“I feel like the girls have stepped up and overcome her not being able to play while Erica was out. It was difficult at times to not have her on the court, but several of the girls, Macy Shupe and Serena Sandidge in particular, stepped up to play a primary defensive role during her absence,” Coach Stanko said.
Other injuries to junior middle hitter Cierra Brooks, who hyper extended her elbow, and junior middle hitter Tenae Washington, who sprained her thumb, affected the team.
While she was sidelined, Erica said that she was still thinking about what was best for the whole team.
She said that she still participated by saying what she thought the team needed to improve on and giving feedback on their good plays.
Erica’s injury added more responsibility to senior outside hitter and co-captain Alyssa Watson who said she had to lift the team up more and make sure they were continuing to be the best that they could be.
“We’re girls, so there is a lot of drama. So I had to keep the team upbeat and not let Erica’s injury get the best of our abilities,” Alyssa said.
Junior right and outside hitter Shakira Massenburg said that the team realized that they had to step up and play together more as a team with Erica out. Also, Shakira said that Macy did a good job adjusting to her new position and getting her passes up, and now she is the first-team libero.
Junior setter and co-captain Deonna Logan said that it was hard having Erica out because she and Erica had a special libero and setter connection, where Erica knew that getting Deonna a good pass would allow her to set a hitter.
“Erica’s injury made us work together more because we had to fill the role she played, which was a big one, and we had to adjust to the lineup change,” Deonna said.
Coach Stanko said that anytime a team loses a player, it’s tough, but her group of girls is probably the best group she’s ever coached at making an adjustment to the lineup.
“Erica Carroll is a very strong athlete. If she’s determined to do it, she will come back. In my opinion, she’s going to come back. She already has her passing back. She’s not going to let something like that stop her from success,” Coach Stanko said.
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