265 The Final Serve From the outside, the 2023 Harding volleyball team looked to have had another successful season as co-regular season champions, and a conference record of 13-3 and an overall record of 19-11. These successes were, however, not without their trials. Co-coaches of the team Meredith and Robert Fear have been coaching volleyball at Harding together since 2012, making it 12 seasons together. The two felt the camaraderie among the team all season. “There were a lot of unexpected injuries and decisions so there was a stretch of losses,” Meredith Fear said. “We still came out as co-regular season champions with no all-star in the middle. It really was a full team effort.” The team practiced five to six times a week, considering the frequency of games which was mostly two times a week. They arrived at school two weeks before the beginning of the fall semester and ended the season at Thanksgiving. “The thing that I enjoy the most is seeing the process where the girls come in and where they end up when they leave,” Robert Fear said. “I love seeing that process of growth that they go through.” Senior Emma Winiger played on the team for five years. Winiger was on the team for the COVID-19 season and was offered to stay on another year to make up for it and she took it. She said the coaches help the team the most by putting them into trying situations and pushing them through them mentally and individually, but as a team. The challenges of the season were made easier through the team spirit they had created. “It was hard since you want all of your teammates to be healthy and able to participate,” Winiger said. “We really love each other so that was one of the easier things. We care about each other on the court and off the court. I think our friendships assisted in that.” Winiger’s favorite memory was senior night. Since her class had a COVID-19 season, they missed out on almost a full year, but senior night symbolized their journey. “It had been a long time coming for our class,” Winiger said. “It was especially sweet because two alumni of our class that graduated came back for [senior night]. It was a lot of fun to look back on how far we have grown athletically, personally, and spiritually.” Meredith and Robert Fear are hopeful for next season, especially after seeing how their team became a family by the end of the 2023 season. “Looking to next year, we just encourage people to come out and support us,” Meredith Fear said. “We are going to be really young, exciting and dynamic. This team does a great job representing Harding.” Written by Randi Tubbs THE SERVE Lady Bison volleyball has a successful season saying goodbye to seven seniors. Row 1: Emma Winiger, Chloe Ingersoll, Kinley Schnell, Grecia Soriano Row 2: Logan Smith-Morgan, Sarah Morehead, Libby Hinton, Kelli McKinnon, Ally Stoner Photo courtesy of Jeff Montgomery
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