By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
The Durant High School volleyball team entered the season with hopes to return the program to the success of the past. It’s a program that has won three state championships and finished as runner-up twice since the school opened in 1995.
All season, the motto for the team was “November” — to get past the Class 8A District 7 tournament and begin to work its way through regionals and then, hopefully, through the state tournament.
Durant fell short of winning their first district title since 2007 this year, losing in the semifinals to Wharton last week and missing its shot at regionals. But even for a team with the rich history of the Lady Cougars, they can’t view the season as a major disappointment.
Durant only featured two seniors on this year’s squad — Raelynn Nichols and Macie Jones. Both were strong leaders and key parts of Durant’s 12-5 final record, but two of the Lady Cougars’ strongest players — Lexi Thompson and Isabella Anzalone — are only juniors.
District 7 was as competitive this year as ever, with the race between Wharton, Plant, Durant and Bloomingdale neck and neck. Durant fell to both Wharton — the regular season district champs — and Bloomingdale this season, but picked up a 3-1 win over Plant, the eventual district tournament champions.
The Lady Cougars took the No. 4 seed into the District 7 tournament, which was hosted by Durant. Durant beat Newsome 3-0 in the opening round, before falling to Wharton in the semifinals. A win would have set up a rematch with Plant for the district title and would have extended Durant’s season into the regional round, because the top two district tournament finishers qualify. Durant lost to Plant — a 10-time state champion — in the district tournament finals last season.
Durant’s last district title came in 2007, when the team went on to finish as state runner-up. Its last state title came back in 2002, following championships in 1999 and 2001.
It’s always tough to look back and think “what if,” but it’s hard not to look at what Durant accomplished this season and think of what could have been.
The Lady Cougars picked up some impressive non-district wins this year, including 3-0 wins over geographic rivals Plant City and Strawberry Crest, both which are headed to regionals after finishing second in Class 7A District 8 and Class 6A District 11, respectively.
Durant opened the 2012 regular season with a 3-1 win over Riverview, which beat Plant City last week for the Class 7A District 8 title. The Lady Cougars carried that theme with two wins over Sickles, which held off Strawberry Crest 3-1 last week to win its third straight district title.
To recap, that’s four regular-season wins over eventual district champions and two wins over district runners-up. Not bad for a team with just two seniors.
Durant will lose Nichols, a senior captain, along with Jones, Durant’s setter, but will return captains and outside hitters Anzalone and Thompson, both of whom have family ties to the winning tradition of Durant volleyball. Anzalone’s sister and Thompson’s aunt played for Durant.
The Lady Cougars coach, Brittany Wilson, wrapped up her second season with Durant last week. Wilson was a member of the 2002 state championship team.
Durant may be the only area volleyball team not playing in a regional tournament this week, but the future of the Lady Cougars appears to be as bright as any.
