Some teams pride themselves on being athletically gifted, others on being academically superior.
The
Lakewood volleyball team wants to be both.
Last season, the Tigers sternly reminded everyone that not all of the state's top volleyball squads are in the southern and eastern portions of the metro area by advancing to Class 5A's final four. They also posted a handful of through-the-roof ACT scores.
Lakewood's Maggie Steward.
File photo by Ray Chen
The Tigers are primed for more of the same this fall. They return the state's lone All-Colorado player from last season, outside hitter
Maggie Steward, and have another group of academically adept players ambitious for another deep run at state.
"At Lakewood, we really value the student-athlete," Tigers coach Liz Armbrustmacher said. "Not only were the girls good volleyball players last season, but we carried a team GPA of 3.82. Here, we're really looking for a well-rounded kind of athlete, and it's nice to see that some girls can do it all."
Last season, three then-seniors — McKenzie Humann, Lauren Carpenter and Adrienne Visani — scored 34 on their ACT tests (perfect score is 36). But although that trio is off to college, the intelligence quotient hasn't lowered much at Lakewood. A prime example of one who excels both athletically and in the classroom is Steward, a 5-foot-10 senior.
"Maggie is the full package," Armbrustmacher said. "Super smart, really great sense of humor, a well-rounded girl with really good work ethic. She's like the coach's dream. . . . She's our rock this year, for sure."
In addition to Steward, the Tigers return five key players from last season.
Marie Zimmerman, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, will serve as the team's emotional leader. Junior
Sara Fahrenbrook returns as the primary setter.
Marie Gillcrist, a 6-1 junior, was a right-side hitter last year but is slated to move to the middle.
Megan Gerali was a serving specialist last season but will see an expanded role on the outside this fall. And libero
Camille White played sparingly last season, but enough for Armbrustmacher and teammate to know they count on the senior this season.
"It's interesting because the team dynamic from last year to this year obviously has shifted so much," Steward said. "Roles are a little different, and my role is to bring the team together and bring us back up to the level that we were last year."
Steward, who is still mulling offers from in- and out-of-state colleges, said the Tigers "wanted to be known, wanted to be someone to be reckoned with" last season and were delighted to break the paradigm of southern-only teams in the final four. While Chaparral (Parker), Regis Jesuit (Aurora) and Grandview (Aurora) were hyped all season as the three best, the Tigers were among that mix as well.
They fell 3-2 to Grandview in the semifinals. Armbrustmacher was asked if the 2012 version of the Tigers could make a similar deep run.
"That's what our goal is," she said. "I think now that they've got a taste of what it is and what it takes to get to the final weekend of play, I know coming into the season that that's part of their goals. I know Maggie and Marie Zimmerman really feel like they have some unfinished business."
When observers say the Tigers are smart enough to realize what's at stake, they aren't kidding. While Lakewood might be amid a cycle of academically proficient students, it goes beyond that.
Players view it as more than just a cool concept.
"I think we take a lot of pride in it," Steward said. "I know my coach values it a ton. A lot of schools have rules where if you're failing a class you can't play, but those rules are a lot stricter for the volleyball team because it's serious. We know we're student-athletes and student comes first, obviously.
"I take a ton of pride knowing that our volleyball team has one of the highest, if not the highest GPAs in the school."
The Tigers open the season Friday night at Pine Creek (Colorado Springs).
