GC Volleyball: Frost reaches 20 wins before district
Oct. 7—FROST — Winning 20 games in a season is a coveted accomplishment in any high school sport, but winning 20 games before the district season begins is almost unheard of no matter what you're playing.
Enter the Frost Lady Polar Bears, who won their 20 game this week before starting district play. Elaine Woods has had a long list of 20-game winners in her legendary career at Frost, but this year's team did it in record time.
The Lady Bears are 20-14, and 10 of those losses came in August when Frost was spending most of its time playing in competitive tournaments during a whirlwind schedule.
Woods knew she had a team loaded with talent and experience — one of the best teams at Frost, where the volleyball team reaches the playoffs every season, in years.
"I've got a good seven seniors and all but two of them have been here and been to the playoffs. Those five — Lexi Banks, Bailee Fuller, Madison Lee, Payton Hollingsworth, and Ella Roughton — have a lot of experience.
Banks is a force at the net, where she has 272 kills and 29 blocks this season to go along with 264 digs on defense. Fuller has 358 assists and 69 aces, and Lee has 279 assists as Woods literally has two setters creating scoring opportunities
Brynna Banks, a sophomore, is also having a sensational season at Frost, where she has 141 kills and 34 blocks. If you're adding along that's 413 kills for the Banks sisters.
Hollingsworth is in the middle of everything and creates chaos for opponents and offense for the Lady Bears. She sees what others don't see.
"She's a hustler, a go-getter," Woods said. "She had a knee injury last year and it's like she's trying to make up for the time she lost last year. She's hustling all the time/
"And she can find holes in the other team," she said. "She can see what the other team is doing. She has such an eye for that. I will sub her out just so she can read what the other team is doing."
Woods said she has so much talent on this year's team that it's impossible to pick out her best player.
"I wouldn't want to pick one," she said. "I don't think you can do it with this group. I have a lot of options. We have more options than we have players on the court. I have great seniors, and so many really good players."
Even though Frost has already won 20 games, the best part about the schedule was how difficult it is. Woods went out of her way to beef up the schedule and add talented teams she knew would challenge her kids.
"I think it will benefit us in the long run," she said.
He players have thrived on the competition — and the district season hasn't even begun.
