Things didn’t look too hot for Durant in September, when the team was swept away in the Academy of the Holy Names tournament. Things also looked bleak in Class 7A District 7 district play Oct. 6, when Strawberry Crest beat the Lady Cougars in three sets. It was Durant’s first district loss since the 2012 season.
But, in the end, everything worked out as head coach Brittany Wade and her seniors thought it would.
Lindsey Robinson, Rachael Rice, Annie Quinn and Madison Adkins have stepped up to fill some big shoes in 2014, most notably those of Durant’s dynamic duo Lexi Thompson and Victoria Fanning. Without their efforts, Wade says, this could have been a different year.
“They have just taken this team and went with it,” Wade says. “They’ve said, ‘We are not losing — we’re going on and winning the state championship.’”
The seniors have taken on an active role behind the scenes, often serving as de facto assistant coaches for Wade.
“We meet every Monday,” Wade says. “Like, today, we said, ‘How are we going to win this next game against Freedom? What are we going to do? What is our game plan?’ They kind of help me plan practice along the way.”
Durant got younger in the offseason, giving a number of those players, such as sophomore Emma Rustenberghe, bigger roles in the team’s on-court schematics. Filling a departed senior’s role as a sophomore isn’t easy, especially on a team with expectations as high as Durant’s. But the seniors have seen to it that all of the underclassmen got comfortable in their roles.
“The seniors have been really tough on them,” Quinn says. “But, they’ve taken it really well. They’re nice girls.”
Of course, there still were some growing pains that came early in the season. Despite improving their preseason record (1-1, versus last year’s 0-2 mark), the Lady Cougars hit a snag at the Academy of the Holy Names tournament from Sept. 5 to 6. They dropped back-to-back-to-back 2-0 games to Tampa Prep, Holy Names and Robinson, and found themselves with a losing record for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Fortunately for the team, Wade and the girls were able to right the ship and get Durant back on track. They weren’t able to replicate last year’s undefeated regular season, or 2012’s five-loss season, but they were able to shine in district play, where winning matters most. In fact, Durant lost only eight sets in district games during the regular season.
“It shows that these girls are willing to work,” Wade says. “We have tons of Saturday practices, and we practice six days a week. It’s hard work. It really just pays off in the end.”
It sure did. In the district championship game, Durant went into the second set with a 1-0 lead, but soon found itself trailing to Terra Brooks and a potent Lady Chargers offense. The Lady Cougars had to rally hard to tie it up at 22, and dragged it out into a slobber-knocker with several lead changes. After winning that set, 28-26, Durant went on a tear and ended up winning the title on the strength of a 25-18 third set.
Overjoyed with the end result, Wade was quick to praise the team’s senior leadership that night — specifically that of Adkins and Robinson who combined for 27 kills and five blocks in the game.
“Maddie (Adkins) is amazing,” Wade said. “She just committed to Saint Leo University. Lindsey Robinson is like a daughter to me. … I’ve kind of taken her under my wing. She’s just a true leader on the court. The girls look up to her.”
Results like this show that, of all the things this program does well, getting the most out of its seniors on and off the court is probably near the top of the list.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
BRACKETOLOGY
Wednesday night was kind to the Durant Lady Cougars, who dispatched Freedom in three sets to advance to the Class 7A District 8 regional semifinals.
The district champions looked calm and in control through each set, winning 25-15, 25-19 and 25-17.
In Lutz, the hosting Steinbrenner Lady Warriors beat Strawberry Crest, 3-1, to advance in the tournament.
After the Lady Chargers stole a win in the first set, 28-26, the home team answered back with 25-14, 25-15 and 25-16 wins to lock up its spot in the semifinals.
Steinbrenner will host Durant in the semifinal game at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.