Madden vball era opens strong

KNOXVILLE — At first glance, the Farragut High School volleyball team’s straight-set victory didn’t seem like anything really out of the ordinary. But this one was special for new head coach Jo Madden and her Lady Admirals squad.

Just ask junior setter Ashley Hibelink.

“We’re extremely grateful to just get a chance to play against another team,” said Hibelink, who scored the first seven service points of FHS’s 25-10, 25-12 win versus Christian Academy of Knoxville Monday afternoon, Aug. 17, at CAK.

“We didn’t know if we would get to play, but we’ve been working really hard. It would’ve been heartbreaking if all the work would have been for nothing and we wouldn’t have gotten to play,” she added about COVID-19 concerns.

“I didn’t keep any stats for this match because it wasn’t a district match, but they looked really good,” said Madden, a longtime assistant at Farragut and Lenoir City before being tapped to take over the reins for one of the area’s top Class AAA programs.

“We have some strong players in the back, but we also have some strong players in the front and our goal this year is to go to state,” she added. “The bar has been set really high.”

“They (the Lady Admirals) are really good. and we had some anxiety today,” CAK third-year head coach Mike Marcum said. “I know our girls are disappointed in the way they played today.”

As for concerns about COVID-19 affecting the Lady Warriors’ schedule, “We’re approaching every practice like it will be our last and every game like it will be our last,” he added.