The season for Cuba High School’s volleyball team came to an end Oct. 20 when the Lady Wildcats fell to the Salem Lady Tigers in the Class 3 District 9 quarterfinals.

Salem won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-16 to take a quick 2-0 lead in the best of five series. However, the Lady Wildcats didn’t go down without a fight in front of their home crowd. Cuba won a back-and-forth third set 25-23 to extend the match.

The fourth set was a thrilling battle of attrition from both sides that extended well past the 25th point. The intensity in the crowd ramped up as the score rose and fans of each team let out roaring cheers for each point. Cuba got within one point of forcing a fifth and final set multiple times, but couldn’t string together two straight points as Salem eventually pulled out a 30-28 win to advance to the semifinals against number one-seeded St. Clair.

  Jaylen Haffer capped her volleyball career with a stat sheet stuffing performance of 29 receptions, 13 digs, 11 kills and 10 blocks. Justice Evrard tallied 17 digs, 14 receptions, seven blocks and six kills. Allison Heads recorded 13 assists and 10 digs. Brooke Echols registered 12 assists and nine digs, Addison McGinnis had 10 digs, seven receptions, two blocks and two kills and Harley Pilkenton added seven receptions, five kills, three blocks and three kills.

Cuba finished the year with a 19-9-2 record, the second consecutive 19-win season in the tenure of head coach Makayla Coleman. The Lady Wildcats won 17 matches in the previous two seasons, combined, before Coleman took over.

Coleman spoke following the loss to Salem about the difference between her team in the first two sets compared to the last two sets.

“I think we finally settled in and started trusting each other. We knew we were capable of competing with them, but we had to get out of our own heads and play our game,” Coleman said.  “In the third and fourth sets, we played with more confidence, communicated better, and started playing for each other instead of worrying about making mistakes. Once we found that momentum, the girls fed off each other’s energy, and you could see a completely different team on the court. Their determination to keep fighting, even when things weren’t going our way, says a lot about this group.”

The loss to Salem ended up being the last match played by the Lady Wildcats’ six senior stalwarts and team leaders Brooke Echols, Mya Garbo, Allison Heads, Jaylen Haffer and Leah Schmidt, who will graduate in May.

Coleman detailed her message to her seniors in the locker room following the loss and what she will miss about having them in her program.

“My message to them was that, while the season may be over, what they’ve done for this program will last far beyond the final match. I’ve had the privilege of coaching some of these girls since they were in eighth grade, so watching them grow into the young women they are today has been incredibly special,” she said,

“I’ll miss their personalities, their leadership, and all the little moments that make a team feel like a family. Each of them brought something different to this program, and there is no replacing that. I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished, but even more proud of the people they’ve become.”

Despite the loss of its six seniors, the future still appears bright for Cuba’s volleyball program. The Lady Wildcats will bring back rising seniors Justice Evrard, Jerzey Bright and Brooklyn Tate and rising junior Addison McGinnis, who started in the district match, along with a cast of young talented players from its junior varsity team that won a program-record 23 matches.

“I’m really excited about the future of this program,” Coleman said when reflecting on the state of the volleyball program moving forward.

“Losing six seniors is never easy, especially a group that has meant so much to our program, but we have a lot of young talent coming up. Our JV team winning 23 matches this season speaks volumes about the work those girls are putting in and the potential they have. We also have returning players who understand our expectations and the culture we’re trying to build. We know we’ll have some big shoes to fill, but I’m confident in the girls coming up and excited to see how they continue to grow. The goal is to keep building on what this group has started and continue creating a program our school and community can be proud of.”