By Mark Carpenter
Though the ending was disappointing, it was yet another banner season for the North Adams Lady Devils volleyball squad and Coach Katie Ragan.After capturing yet another Division III sectional championship, the Lady Devils’ season came to an end in the district semi-finals with a straight set loss to Nelsonville-York.
Even with that loss, Coach Ragan, the Southern Hills Conference Coach of the Year, could still hold her head high about her team’s accomplishments.
“We finished the season 18-6 and won the SHAC Gold Ball trophy for the second consecutive season,” said Ragan. We won the sectional for the seventh year in a row. Senior DeLaney Harper was the SHAC Player of the Year and was Second Team All-District. Junior Sierra Kendall was All-SHAC and Third Team All-District. Wylie Shipley was also All-SHAC and All-District Honorable Mention.”
The North Adams volleyball record book also took a beating with this year’s team. Harper broke the North Adams record for career service aces with 232 and now holds the Lady Devils’ record for most points served in a career with 841. as a junior, Kendall recorded her 2,000th career assist in a win at Ripley and will certainly add to that record next season.
Harper and Shipley also combined to be one dynamic duo around the net as big hitters, both eclipsing the 700 mark in career kills, with Harper recording 751 career kills with Shipley adding 788 from her outside hitter spot.
The Lady Devils lose three seniors off of this year’s squad- Harper, Shipley, and Marah Call, but will no doubt be well tooled in 2021 to take their shots at another conference and tournament run.