This year’s Chisholm High School volleyball team never went down without a fight.
The Longhorns finished the year 17-11 and advanced to the OSSAA 3A regional tournament. Head coach Jonathan Robbins commended the team’s poise.
“The ability to keep fighting every moment in a match,” Robbins said. “This team never stopped and never felt they were out of the fight. They had a great mental support system from each other to keep them engaged even when we were down. It helped bring us back in plenty of matches this year for the win.”
The Longhorns endured adversity in the loss of a beloved assistant coach. Amy Barnes, Robbins’ longtime right-hand woman, died Aug. 18 from Leukemia. She was diagnosed in April.
“She had a daughter that was a senior on the team, and she was also the team mom,” Robbins said. “She took care of the girls in many ways and was nicknamed ‘Momma Barnes.’ She was a great coach, friend, mother and role model for the girls.”
Never running from a fight, the Longhorns used the game as a method to grieve, and the court as a place to honor.
“The way the girls banded together in the battle of leukemia Coach Barnes fought was definitely meaningful for the team. They rallied around each other and leaned on each other during the tough times. And it gave them a fire deep inside to fight,” Robbins saod. “Amy Barnes left the world with the words ‘Go be great’ towards her last days and that was what the volleyball team held close to their hearts for the season. They had the drive to go be great.”
Brylee Barnes, the team’s senior setter, also stepped up as its most significant leader. She and Emma Clingenpeel were named captains. Younger players rallied around their guidance.
“Seven was the total number of seniors and junior combined, and they had to lead 26 sophomores and freshmen,” Robbins said. “By the end of the season, we had two freshman and one sophomore starting on the varsity team.”
Barnes demonstrtated the unwaivering ability to uplift as she completed her career with over 1,000 assists. Clingenpeel became the team’s workhorse. Avery Lane, another seniro and three-year starter, had over 200 kills this season.
“When we needed a point, [Lane] did everything she could to try and get it,” Robbins said.
Sophomore Melissa Clark and freshman Shiloh Williams and McKinley Winter heard their names called up and approached the challenge forthrightly.
The odds were rarely stacked higher against the Longhorns than in the Jiffy Trip Tournament at Oklahoma Bible Academy. Several of the team’s best small-school teams descended on Enid for the showcase.
“Our team’s greatest moment this year would have to be coming back and beating OBA in their tournament to win the tournament after losing to them a few days before,” Robbins said. “We played very well the whole Jiffy Trip tournament and especially this game. We worked together and everyone had great communication and leadership.”
The Longhorns defeated OBA in three sets and rode its momentum through the remainder of the season before losing to No. 2 Metro Christian.
“Many of the girls were sad to see their season end,” Robbins said. “I believe that the girls knew they did everything they could. We fought to win these games and, by the last game, the emotions showed that they did everything they could do. I am proud of the team for how they performed this year. The good times and permanent memories from the seniors will always be on my heart as we get started for the years to come.”
