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2007 Carlinville Lady Cavaliers

Fran Struble's Carlinville Volleyball Website

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Thursday, November 8

Another super loss can't keep Carlinville down

By Greg Shashack
The Telegraph

While the Cavaliers were on a bus headed home to Carlinville from Maroa on Monday night, Libertyville volleyball was celebrating a Class 4A super-sectional victory in Arlington Heights.

After nine defeats in nine previous super-sectional appearances, the Wildcats earned their first trip to the State Finals in Normal. And the state’s new title-holder as the prep program with the most sectional championships without advancing to the State Finals is Carlinville.

A 34-4 season produced the Cavaliers’ sixth sectional title. And a 25-17, 26-24 loss to unbeaten Maroa-Forsyth in a Class 2A super stopped Carlinville one win shy of a trip to Redbird Arena for the sixth time.

But while there certainly was disappointment among the Cavaliers, there were no apparent signs of devastation.

“This is as far as Carlinville’s ever made it,” senior Kali Crane said, “so we were just excited to get this chance.”

That outlook trickles down from the top. Carlinville coach Fran Struble, her place among the state’s top all-time coaches already secure, refuses to define her program’s success by victory or defeat. So a 0-6 super-sectional record is no cause for stress to Struble.

“You know, I’m all about the girls,” Struble said Monday night. “If I never get a state championship trophy, it doesn’t matter to me. I want my girls to learn how to play the game with a love and a passion. And I want them to be able to go on and coach. That’s my whole goal.

“I’m training them to be volleyball coaches. I have a lot of girls out there coaching now, so I’m very happy with the accomplishment.”

More tangible achievements that can be counted in victories and titles also make a lengthy list for Carlinville volleyball.

In the past 20 seasons, the Cavaliers have won 17 conference championships, including 10 in the 11 years since the South Central Conference’s expansion and split put the Cavs in the league’s West Division. In the 12 seasons from 1992-2003, Carlinville posted a 120-0 record in conference play.

But sustaining the tradition Struble has built since taking over Carlinville volleyball in 1980 seems to be no burden for her players. In a hostile arena against a powerful foe Monday night in Maroa, the Cavaliers still managed smiles while their season clearly was in peril.

“They do have fun,” Struble said, “and the girls play with so much heart and soul, they never give up. They just keep doing what they do.”

They will do it in 2008 without the five seniors that led a charge that matched the school’s single-season record for wins first set at 34 in 1996. The 5-foot-10 Crane, a first team All-Area pick as a junior, is a leading candidate for player of the year honors as a senior.

Brooke Boente, who orchestrates the offense as setter, also must be replaced along with classmates Alyse Sandino, Amy Striker and Callie Rahe. All played key roles this season.

But regulars return in junior Morgan Hicks, sophomores Liz Kelly and Savannah Bates and freshman Kelsey Card, whose sister Brittany was The Telegraph Player of the Year in 2003. In the 6-1 Kelly and 5-10 Card, the Cavaliers can rebuild around two of the area’s top frontline players.

And for her program’s future and past, Struble retains the same positive view -- even in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s disappointment and the resulting 0-6 record in super-sectional play.

“I’m smiling all the way,” she said.