Cleveland volleyball coach Amy McGowan is not surprised one bit at how well Lauren Hurst has fared in her first high school season.
The 6-foot-1 outside hitter closed the Lady Blue Raiders’ Region 3-AAA championship victory against Bradley Central on Tuesday night with three straight kills, with the last set up when her older sister Addison hustled to the back left corner and out of bounds to save a hard-fought point. Lauren finished the match with 13 kills, bringing her team-leading season total to 443.
On Thursday night, Cleveland (36-11) advanced to next week’s Class AAA state tournament by sweeping Oakland in three sets, 25-16, 25-14 and 25-18, to finish 12-0 at home this season.
“I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that Lauren would come in and be an instant impact player for us,” McGowan said. “I coached Lauren in middle school basketball, and she is extremely talented. You just knew she had that it factor from an early age. She and Addison are some of the best athletes just in general I’ve coached. They are good at everything they do. Just the way they move and whatever they take on. They are phenomenal athletes.”
Through the region title match, the Hurst sisters have combined for 836 kills, 56 blocks and 471 digs this season for Cleveland, whose eight-player rotation the Lady Blue Raiders believe is as solid as any in the state.