Lookout Valley volleyball starters cheer after huddling up before their prep volleyball game against Marion County on Sept. 7, 2014, at Sale Creek High School.TSSAA DIVISION I REGION VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULESAll times EasternMonday* 3-A at Boyd-Buchanan: 6-Lookout Valley vs. Boyd-Buchanan; 7-Grace Academy vs. Sale Creek* 3-AAA at Cookeville: 6-Rhea County vs. Ooltewah; 7:30-East Hamilton vs. CookevilleTuesday* 3-A at Boyd-Buchanan: 6-Championship* 3-AA at Red Bank: 5-Hixson vs. Polk County; 6-McMinn Central vs. Red Bank; 7-Championship* 4-AA at Macon County: 6-Chattanooga Christian vs. Macon County; 7:30-Livingston Academy vs. Signal Mountain; 9-Championship* 3-AAA: Championship TBDAll-district teams* 5-A: Luz Martinez, CGLA; Deserae Baliles, Copper Basin; Keturah Billen, Alex Hollis, Arts & Sciences; Caroline Couch, Molly Rumfelt, Silverdale Baptist Academy; Miriam Horne, Claire McMasters, Serena Turner, Alexandra Smith (POY), Grace Academy; Katie DeLay, Asia Kirkman, Kristen Reynolds, Boyd-Buchanan. Coach of the Year: Hillary Waters, Grace Academy.* 6-A: Savanna Graham, Richard Hardy; Victoria Grider, South Pittsburg; Storm Roberts, Whitwell; Erica O'Kane, Marion County; Carolyn Walling, Van Buren County; Jordan Duncan, Bailey Pugh, Sale Creek; Taylor Hoge, Annie Marr, Savannah Walker, Lookout Valley.* 6-AA: Dynesha Tucker, Brainerd; Hannah Eldridge, Kyhonah Lawrence, East Ridge; Marjorie Smith, Allison Walker, Hannah Wilson; Lexie Ainslie, Rebekah Hill, Sky Wolfe, Central; Bailey Burba, Paige Lawson, Tatyona Staten, Abby Tipton.* 7-AA: Makailya Hoo, Sequatchie County; Casey Peters, Bledsoe County; Whitlee Burnett, Grundy County; Ragen Dobson, Kaylee Stone, Grace VanderWerf, Notre Dame; Hannah Stewart, Riley Visser, Taylor Youell, Chattanooga Christian; Kennady Collick, Taelor Kellum, Aryn Sanders, Signal Mountain.* 5-AAA: Emma Lenoir, Meredith Stott, East Hamilton; Lisa Duvall, Natalie Jennings, Bradley Central; Emma Flowers, Kellee Geren, Cleveland; Chloe Mitchell, Hannah Robertson, Lauren Smith, Soddy-Daisy; Ashlyn Flock, Madison Pruett, Katelin Scoggins, Walker Valley; Alex Biro, Josie Cain, Courtlyn Ison (co-POY), Hanna Matthews (co-POY), Ooltewah.
If anyone has thought Lookout Valley volleyball coach Pat Conard has been looking a little blue in the face lately, or that her hands look a little beat up, it may be because she claims to have been holding her breath a lot the past couple of months, and knocking on wood.
Six players practically have carried the entire load of playing time this year for the Lady Yellow Jackets, whose season remains alive heading into TSSAA region tournaments. Theirs continues with Monday's Region 3-A semifinals at Boyd-Buchanan.
Lookout Valley takes on the District 5-winning Lady Buccaneers at 6 p.m., followed by District 6 champion Sale Creek against Grace Academy at 7. The winners will play Tuesday at 6 for the championship, but both finalists will move on to state sectionals Thursday, where the winners will advance to the state tournament.
The Region 3-AAA tournament will have its semifinals Monday at Cookeville and will conclude Tuesday. The Region 3-AA and 4-AA tournaments will be held entirely on Tuesday.
Lookout Valley seniors Annie Marr and Savannah Walker and juniors Bri Evers, Elexis Foster, Taylor Hoge and Katelyn Mitchell have exhibited plenty of staying power this season. Toward the end of the regular season Conard started playing Scarlett Hamrick in a limited role, but for the most part it's been the "Ironman Six."
Marr is the setter and hasn't come off the floor all season. Conard felt she couldn't afford to take her out.
"I try not to think about it," Marr said. "If I start thinking about it, I'm afraid I'll mess up."
It's after that kind of statement that the Lady Jackets will literally knock on wood, which being in a gymnasium only takes stooping a little to rap a few times on the floor.
The ritual can be traced to superstitious middle hitter Walker, another who has been on the court for every point. When a player says something that sounds like it could potentially lead to a bad fate, they knock.
Lookout Valley is 18-4 and was the District 6 regular-season champion. But the supernatural can't take all the credit for that success.
"We've played together for a long time, so we're really good about knowing what the other person is doing most of the time," Walker said. "We're definitely not the tallest group, but we work well together. And the short girls can pretty much get up, so that helps, too."
Conard said she isn't sure if she did the right thing by not working in some of her freshmen here and there. But with the stakes as high as they are at this stage of the season, not much is going to change now unless it's out of necessity.
Hoge has been hampered with a hamstring injury. Evers battled back from a foot fracture last winter and has still been bothered by it, yet she's trudged on.
"She was walking on one leg the other night," Conard said, referring to Tuesday's district final. "She gave it everything she had."
Sophomore Tennille Rogers is a Boyd-Buchanan transfer who just became eligible Wednesday. Given Evers' situation, she could help off the bench.
Freshman Hamrick's restricted role has been at libero and server.
"We started having her serving for Elexis," Conard said. "We used her a little more the other night because Bri was hurt. Middle school volleyball to high school is a big difference. Even junior varsity to varsity is. She's adjusted well."
To get past a Boyd-Buchanan team that has several players with much postseason experience, Marr believes encouragement among themselves will be important.
"I think all we need to do is not get mad or frustrated with each other," Marr said. "If somebody focuses on the negative, everybody starts doing it. That's what gets us down on ourselves. So if we all stay happy, things go better."
Walker's outlook is simple.
"We just have to come out, play our hardest and hope for the best," Walker said. "It's worked well so far."
Now if only the "Ironman Six" can hold up a little longer.
"The hard part is keeping them all healthy," Conard said. "I hold my breath and hope that none of them get hurt.
"The team chemistry has been phenomenal," the coach added, "and I'm knocking on wood."
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him at twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.