Olympia girls volleyball snags second at Nike Tournament of Champions

The Olympia High School girls varsity volleyball team finished second at the Nike Tournament of Champions which took place Friday, Sept. 1, and Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel. 

“It was great; I didn’t have any expectations going into it, but right off the bat, we played super (well),” senior captain and libero Emma Schutt, 17, said. “We were just sharp. We worked really well together, and everyone had the same goal in mind.” 

This was the fourth year the Nike Tournament of Champions hosted a high school volleyball tournament in the Southeast region of the country. It was Olympia’s second year participating.

“It was really fun,” senior captain and outside hitter Laney Perdue, 17, said. “It was a lot different than it was last year. We performed really well. … Our team is so young, so we have to be there for them, show leadership and stay positive and encouraging.” 

Olympia defeated South Fork 2-0 (25-18, 25-17), St. Agnes Academy 2-1 (27-25, 23-25, 15-9) and Cardinal Mooney 2-0 (25-21, 25-23) Friday, Sept. 1. During the second day of the tournament, Olympia defeated The First Academy 2-0 (26-24, 25-20) and Gulliver Prep 2-0 (25-18, 26-24). However, the Lady Titans lost to Ramson Everglades 2-0 (24-26, 21-25) during the final game of the tournament Saturday, Sept. 2. 

“I was proud of us, because we gave a lot of effort the whole tournament,” sophomore setter Madison Wehr, 15, said. “We just want to win.” 

“This year is more about quality than quantity,” Olympia High head volleyball coach Semei Tello said. “This group particularly — not saying that last year they didn’t — will fight for every point. Last year, they were a little bit too comfortable knowing that they were the top dog going into the season; everybody knew that we were the team to beat. This year, at the very beginning (of the season), everybody didn’t think we were going to be very good until they saw us in the Nike tournament, how we were winning these games and people are starting now to turn their heads toward us again. So, it’s something that this group particularly needs to learn how to deal with. I guess last year they knew they were the team to be, this year they are learning that they are the team to beat.”

Part of the success the girls have encountered on the court this year, currently owning a 10-4 overall season record, as of press time, is attributed to the way they approach practices — focusing on service patterns and offensive plays. 

“We will put 6-on-6, we will have our starting lineup on one side and another squad on the other side of the net,” Tello said. “We challenge each other.” 

Overall, the team is truly embracing the newness and youngness of the girls — having lost six seniors last year — with a starting lineup of one freshman, four sophomore and two seniors. 

“I just think with them being so you and able to play at that level, there’s a lot of room for growth,” Tello said. “In the next couple of years, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.”