Stepping up • In a ...... .. Aoe was not everything when it came to athle~s, at least that's what the volleyball team was determined to prove. In the middle of their 2010 season, the Lady Bisons were 7-1 in conference, their only loss coming from Arkansas Tech. With such a promising winning streak, the team was looking to make a strong finish. According to sophomore Jordan Smith, the team was very young, with five freshmen in the lineup. At one point in a game against Arkansas Monticello, there were four freshman and two sophomores on the court at the same time, and Harding still won handily. Junior Alex Smith commented on what a great asset the younger girls were to the team. "They're young and their energy is great for us as a team," Smith said. "From day one we knew they were fun, and we knew that we would love hanging around them." Senior Emil y Tate agreed. "They're great," Tate said. "They make bus rides fun and most importantly, they help us win games." The game that best represented the true fighting spirit and of need teamwork of the team was an away game against Oachita Baptist. On the second play of the game after going up for a spike, sophomore Reagan Smith, the team's leader in kills at that point, fell and tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. This would end Smith's season, but it also sparked a fire in the rest of the team and forced them to step up their game. Freshman Lisa Copeland stepped in for Smith and played an amazing game, according to Coach Keith Giboney. Senior Sam Anderson chipped in with a career high in kills, and Smith had an outstanding .420 hit percentage that helped carry the team. Ultimately, Harding won in five games. When the season was said and done, the team went 18-11 overall, but 10-2 in conference. Losing Smith hurt the team's advantage, but young players such as Mollie Arnold, named Freshman of the Year in the GSC, stepped up and made a good season out of what could have potentially been a very bad situation. The team showed its resilience and willingness to fight through any obstacle. They were set up to be a top contender in 2011. }ames T oylor Row 1: j. Creamer, L Copeland, A Schinzing, W Williams, E. Tote, A Porker, A Smith, J. Smith, J. Heimrich, M. Arnold. Row 2 K. Welch, M. Teogue, T. Hooten, B. Graham, S. Easterly. A Short, R. Smith, S. Anderson, M. Giboney (Coach), K. Giboney (Coach). volleyball 2 91
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