Murray proud of Alco volleyball players' dedication
Mar. 5—CUMBERLAND — With everything her team has experienced over the last year, Allegany volleyball coach Cassie Murray can't help but feel prideful about her student-athletes — not just for what they're doing on the court, but in the classroom as well.
"Students and teachers deserve a lot of credit for the adjustments they have made," Murray said. "I am not sure how I would have fared if this happened to me in high school. Learning new platforms of being taught/teaching, not seeing friends and family, and feeling stuck at home — there is a lot out of their control right now and I can imagine it feels very unfair.
"I am very proud of my team, they have shown up from Day 1 with tremendous dedication, effort and positive attitudes in practice, regardless of the fact they know we can be canceled at any moment. They are truly happy to just have the chance to play and be around their teammates."
The Campers have been lucky to not lose any student-athletes over the break, whether it be to school or work or any other reason, and Murray's players have used the time away to remain active and stay in tip-top shape.
From the coaching side of things, it has been quite an experience.
"It's been a lot of things," Murray said. "Exciting, frustrating due to the unknown time lines, hectic and fun all wrapped up in one. I am still learning all the ins and outs of being a varsity head coach that have nothing to do with actually playing volleyball. Then you throw in all the COVID protocols and adjustments that have to be made and it can be a bit overwhelming.
"Luckily, I receive great support at home, from fellow coaches and my sisters, Anna Stewart and Jamie Bailey, who both have a lot of coaching experience. I currently do not have any assistants or a JV coach."
Although the Campers don't have any game experience against either of their two opponents — Fort Hill and Mountain Ridge — in the shortened season, they won both of their games before the break.
Nevaeh Kendall and Samara Funk tallied double-doubles in a season-opening sweep at home over Southern. Kendall had 10 points with two aces to go with 12 assists, while Funk tallied 16 digs and 13 points with two aces.
Funk led the charge to put Allegany at 2-0 a few days later against Bishop Walsh in a sweep. The senior had a team-high eight kills with five aces and two digs. Sarah Kesner matched Funk in aces with five to go with seven digs and five kills.
"I really wish we could have been on the same schedule of sports as other counties in Maryland or West Virginia in order to have more games available, but hindsight is 20/20," said Murray. "This is a situation no one has ever been in before, so being flexible is essential. When it comes down to it ... I am happy the student-athletes have something to be invested in, motivated by and that they have the opportunity to have these interactions with their peers."
The Campers host the season opener against the Sentinels on Tuesday, then they're off for a week before traveling to Mountain Ridge on March 16. Two days later, Allegany travels to Fort Hill before closing the season at home on March 25 against Mountain Ridge. Varsity games start at 7 p.m. following junior varsity matches at 6 p.m.
Kyle Bennett is a sports reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBennettCTN.
