SHEPHERD — This past weekend the Shepherd volleyball team picked up a monumental victory.
The Fillies knocked off Huntley Project in the undefeated semifinals of the District 4B tournament, believed to be the program’s first win over an Iona Stookey coached Red Devils team.
“It’s all about the girls. They put the work in every day," Shepherd head coach Danielle Robison said. "They put the work in in the offseason. They’re some of the hardest working girls that I’ve ever coached, and to see it finally pay off for them is just a really proud moment for me.”
“We’ve been working towards this for I don’t even know how long. It’s been so long that to actually do it, to use all the stuff we’ve been working on, it felt great to know that we just did it finally," said senior Aubrey Allison.
Robison believes a win over Project dates back before her time in high school at Shepherd where she graduated in 1999. Although the Fillies wound up finishing second to Project at the district tournament, a win like that can change the trajectory of the program.
“I think it was important to see us actually get that win and see us celebrating it with all of our teammates. It makes them want to work towards what we did and hopefully it will make them work harder," Allison said.
It didn’t look like a fluke when Shepherd won, either, as they were playing lights out volleyball. The Fillies are hoping to ride that wave at this weekend’s Southern B divisional tournament.
“I think it sets a tone that Shepherd volleyball is going in the right direction. I definitely think it’s going to send us in with the confidence that we need going into this weekend," Robison said. "The Southern B divisional tournament, all the teams there are amazing. You can’t overlook one single team that is at this tournament, so I think that’s going to give us the confidence to go in and hopefully be successful.”
The last time Shepherd placed at the State B tournament? 1993. This Fillies team looks like it has the potential to end another drought. The Fillies get their Southern B divisional tournament started on Thursday at 2:30 against Jefferson.
