Lions Top Jags and Continue Run at the Top of 6A Volleyball

by Rob Morris for Moore Monthly

This fall, the Moore Lions volleyball team is enjoying some time at the top of the mountain. With their hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 17-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-13) win over Westmoore on Thursday night, the team is now 24-3 on the season and ranked #1 in 6A volleyball. The victory over the Jags also gave head coach Rachael Simmons her 100th career win.

Make no mistake, though. This team is far from satisfied with that ranking. Simmons says this is a veteran team that’s fully aware of both what they’ve accomplished and what’s still on the table.

“I don’t want to downplay this by any means, but we’re just taking it one day at a time,” said Simmons.

This senior-laden team has those goals lined up and are looking to check the “done” boxes all the way to the state tournament in October. But they are also mature enough to understand that what’s happening right now is special in a way that goes beyond the wins, losses, and rankings.

“Honestly, I think it’s a huge difference between my freshman year and our senior year,” said Addison Worley. “I think the chemistry with this certain group of girls is just so close it makes every day special.”

Part of that every day routine for the Lions is putting in the work. It’s something senior Leah Campbell says most people don’t see.

“Of course we work hard in practice,” said Campbell. “And we do very well with it. But I think one of the things that sets us apart is our work after practice. That’s what helps us build the connection that gets us through those tough moments on the court.”

Talk about tough moments. The long-time motto for the Lady Lions has been “Time to Hunt.” But when you’re the Queens of the Volleyball Jungle, you can bank on the fact that all the other teams are taking aim at you. Jocelyn Thomas, another senior, says knowing that helps the Lady Lions keep their focus.

“Just keeping that in mind every single time we go to practice or play a game,” said Thomas. “We stay focused and live in the moment, really not thinking too far ahead. I think that attitude is one of the big things that sets this team apart.”

I am really proud of the girls for competing and doing our best and being ranked number one. But we don’t let that define us and I think that in the grand scheme of things we’ve got bigger goals. 

- Coach Rachael Simmons

Simmons and her seniors also give a lot of credit to the Lady Lions focus and mindset to a program called “Lead Them Up.” It’s a leadership program that has helped bring together the team’s senior leadership and chemistry with a strong work ethic.

“These seniors have always been really close and they’ve created chemistry on the court all along,” said Simmons, “However, I think going through the Lead Them Up program has really enhanced that. They’ve learned leadership skills, how to enhance their communication, and all the things that they need to succeed, not just on the court, but within their relationships.”

Worley says the Lead Them Up has been an amazing experience, especially as it has helped change her perspective on team relationships.

“I think it’s really given me a different way to relate to my teammates on the court and even overall,” said Worley.  “I can see how our chemistry has grown so much, and I’ve just gained a different perspective about being a leader in different ways.”

For Campbell, the program was the catalyst for convincing her that she could think of herself as a leader.

“My freshman year my mindset was, ‘I’m not a leader and I don’t need to be a leader,’” said Campbell. “But the program helped me make a mindset switch so that I realized last year all the things I could do to step out and be a leader.”

Thomas says being a leader was something she’d been told she needed to embrace for a long time, but it wasn’t until she participated in Lead Them Up that the pieces fell into place.

“My parents have always told me that I was a leader, but I didn’t truly understand that until last year,” said Thomas. “Lead Them Up has helped me take that step and become a real leader.”

As intense as these girls are in practice and on the court, they also find ways to enjoy each other’s company away from the competition.

Worley said, “Volleyball does take so much of our time, but we love it, so it’s not a burden. We’re with each other almost 24/7 and a lot of that down time is just swimming, watching movies, Instagram, and taking naps.”

“I think that relaxation time is one of the things that makes our chemistry so good,” said Thomas. “We’re together on and off the court.”

“It’s not really all that complex,” said Campbell. “People always tells us, ‘You guys are really close.’ We are close and that means we share a lot of those type of fun moments.

Simmons says that she tries to make sure that “down time” is a part of the teams’ very busy lives.

“I try to be really intentional on making sure that the girls have time in the summer to themselves,” said Simmons. “There are things that we have to get done. You have to practice. We have to get better. But they need to enjoy themselves, too. They’re high school teenagers, so we will take time off to enjoy the important things, like Homecoming”

But make no mistake about it. This team has unfinished business and they’re focused on getting the job done.

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