A SPECIAL SEASON

“To me, being a state champion made everything I have done over these past four years worth it. Not only will I get to leave Gilmour with a title, but I will leave knowing that every single girl on the team always gave it their all. People stepped up when they needed to and it took every player on a roster to win this championship. We played this year for Caroline, and we finally did it. We are state champs.”

- Brinn MacLeLLan ’21

TEAM

“THESE SENIORS CHANGED OUR CULTURE. THEY HAVE CERTAINLY LEFT THEIR FOOTPRINT ON THE LANCER VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM.”

-DANNY COUGHLIN, HEAD COACH

Special. As cliché as it sounds, it is the only word Coach Danny Coughlin could use when asked to describe his state champion volleyball team. They are special not just for what they accomplished on the court, but all they did off the court as well on the path to the title.

This was a team led by five seniors, the Fab Five as Coach Coughlin likes to call them – Caroline Rarick ’21, Jocelyn Carter ’21, Ava Nestor ’21, Emmy Klika ’21 and Brinn MacLellan ’21. Their work

toward a state championship began long before this season. Strong in both numbers and in talent, they realized early on in their high school careers that their class could truly shape the future of Lancer volleyball. They wanted to create a culture rooted in not just hard work, but inclusion. They wanted the players behind them to feel a part of the program from their first days of practice. Coach Coughlin said, “These seniors changed our culture. They have certainly left their footprint on the Lancer volleyball program.”

The program has blossomed under their leadership, with varsity players taking junior varsity and freshman players under their wing, encouraging them on and off the court. It is not uncommon to see varsity players taking JV players for smoothies after school or studying together during Study Hall. The varsity players make it clear that there is no room for egos in this program, and the impact of that mindset has been far reaching.

As has the girls’ commitment to each other and their shared goal of a state championship. After losing in the state semifinals last year, this team was hungry to make it back to the state tournament and the theme for the year was 2020 Mission.

They knew that it was going to be even harder to do so this year given the uncertainties of the pandemic and that they needed to stay healthy, as one positive case could quickly turn into more, sidelining them in the midst of their season. So, the team decided to limit their contact with anyone outside of the varsity team for the entirety of the season. Asked how he got the girls to buy into this mentality, Coach Coughlin said he didn’t have to. MacLellan, one of the captains, handled it. She called team meetings to discuss the rules and made sure that everyone was following them. Coughlin said, “These girls did a great job of understanding where they needed to be. School. Practice. Home. Repeat. They gave up a lot.

They sacrificed time with friends and with family. I know how hard that is for high school kids.” But it worked. The team never had a case throughout the whole season and never even had to miss a practice due to COVID-19.

Their team-first mentality was solidified when one of their own, Caroline Rarick ’21 suffered a horrible leg injury on August 1 in a boating accident [see page 16]. The team, which includes Caroline’s sister, Anna ’23, rallied around their beloved senior, and immediately dedicated the season to her.

That inspiration worked as the team began their march to states. After finishing the regular season 16-1, the team advanced through the postseason, earning district and regional championships on their way to the state semifinal matchup on November 13 against Tippecanoe High School. They won that match, which sent them to the state championship matchup against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, a team filled with familiar faces as many of the girls play club volleyball together in the offseason. In an incredible display of volleyball, the teams battled to five sets, and the Lancers emerged as the Division II state champions, winning the match 3-2 (16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13). Additionally, in the final polls of the season, the Lancers finished the season ranked fourth in Ohio across all divisions and ranked 12th nationally by MaxPreps.

Team members earned plenty of individual honors as well. At the district level, which encompasses 82 volleyball programs, nine players earned honors. For the second year in a row, Northwestern commit Kathryn Randorf ’22, an outside hitter, was named All-District Player of the Year and First Team. Libero and University of Pittsburgh commit Emmy Klika ’21 and middle hitter Brinn MacLellan ’21 also earned First Team honors. Opposite hitter Jocelyn Carter ’21, who has committed to UNC Greensboro, and outside hitter Sabrina Gremm ’22 were named Second Team. Setter Ava Nestor ’21 and setter/opposite hitter Anna Rarick ’23 received Third Team honors, and outside hitter/defensive specialist Brooke Clair ’22 and defensive specialist Laney Klika ’23 were Honorable Mention selections. Additionally, Coach Coughlin earned District Coach of the Year honors!

At the state level, Emmy Klika was named First Team All-State, Randorf was named Second Team All-State and MacLellan earned (continued on page 17)

Brooke Clair '22 and Anna Rarick '23

Coach Danny Coughlin

“2020 State Champs is more than a title for me. It is the people behind that title that mean something to me. This battle was won because of our dedication to the team and love of the game. We played for each other and won for each other. 2020 Mission Completed!”

“The feeling of being 2020 state champs is so amazing and fulfilling. This was more than a game for some of us, including me. I played this game for Caroline, she was my motivation for this season.”

- Kathryn randorf ’22

Jen, Caroline ’21, Marty and Anna ’23 Rarick

Caroline and Kathryn seconds after match point at the state championship

THE PULSE OF THE TEAM CAROLINE RARICK ’21

It was August 1, the day her senior season was supposed to start. But, COVID-19 had forced a delay to the start of the fall sports season. The volleyball team had already committed to limiting their interaction outside of the team, and opted to spend the found time together at Roaming Shores in Ashtabula.

Caroline Rarick ’21 and Kathryn Randorf ’22 were trying to bring a jet ski and tube back to the dock before the pending rain storm hit. Caroline was on the back of the jet ski with the tube and had the tube’s rope circled in her hand when she fell into the water. In that instant, the rope tightened around her leg, just below her knee, breaking her fibula, severing her popliteal artery, partially tearing her ACL and ripping through her muscle.

Caroline says her “fight or flight” instincts kicked in at that point, allowing her to remain calm as she knew she’d be in trouble if she allowed her blood pressure to spike. That calm, coupled with quick thinking by her teammate, probably saved her leg. The pair flagged down a passing jet skier, who, with Kathryn, pulled Caroline out of the water and onto his jet ski. He and Kathryn then found a nearby boat, which had two doctors on board! After getting her into the boat, the doctors called 911, applied a tourniquet and raced to meet EMS at the closest dock.

In normal weather conditions, Caroline would have been lifeflighted, but the weather prevented the helicopters from flying. So, she was loaded into the back of the ambulance and rushed to the closest hospital – University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. Shortly after arriving, doctors could no longer detect a pulse in Caroline’s foot. She was immediately placed back in the ambulance and raced to UH’s main campus downtown, where the chief of vascular surgery would attempt to restore bloodflow by transplanting a vein from her good leg into the injured area. Caroline’s parents were told that, in order to have a chance of success, surgery must begin within six hours of the injury. She was taken into the OR five hours and 45 minutes after the accident and her parents were left to wait during the four-plus hour surgery, wondering if their daughter would walk again.

Once the surgery was complete, the surgeon reported that he believed it had been a success, as they were able to now detect a very faint pulse in Caroline’s foot. Over the next few days, that pulse grew stronger and Caroline’s fight to return to her team began. While she knew she would not be able to play with them again, she wanted to be with them on the sidelines, cheering them on. That motivation is what got her through the next two months, as she faced four additional surgeries, countless procedures and sleepless nights.

And there wasn’t a day that went by that Caroline’s story didn’t serve as motivation for her teammates, most notably, her younger sister, Anna ’23, who had been looking forward to playing a final season with her sister.

No one who was at the September 26 match against Hudson will ever forget the impact of seeing Caroline enter the gym. It was the first time she was able to be on the sideline and brought her teammates and coaches, as well as many of the players and coaches from Hudson, to tears.

Caroline continued to cheer her teammates on from the sidelines all season, moving from a wheelchair to just crutches by the time the state tournament came around. While she had certainly left her mark on the court in her previous three seasons as a varsity player, her impact was, perhaps, even more significant this season. Watching her battle back mentally and physically week after week, exceeding every benchmark she set for herself, inspired her teammates and united them with a common goal of winning a state title for Caroline. When they did, Kathryn immediately found Caroline, hugging her, thinking of how far they had come since August 1.

Today, Caroline walks without crutches, has graduated to just one day a week of physical therapy, and looks forward to studying biochemistry in college. She had always considered a career in medicine, but says that this experience solidified that. She plans to become a doctor, nurse or a physician’s assistant after seeing firsthand just how deeply medical personnel can impact someone’s life.

Reflecting on her experience, Caroline said, “Life can change in the snap of a second. This made me appreciate everything and realize how lucky we are to have our health.” The GA volleyball program is lucky to have had Caroline Rarick in its ranks.

Honorable Mention honors. Finally, in March, Emmy Klika was one of 100 athletes named to the 2020 High School AllAmerican team and Randorf was named All-American Honorable Mention!

Asked if the team had any unsung heroes, Coach Coughlin said it would be Jocelyn Carter and Ava Nestor.

He cited the energy Carter brought, particularly come playoff time. The team called her “Playoff Joce.” Her intensity brought the rest of the team up and everyone played off that. As for Nestor, he referenced her composure and consistency. He said that she does what she needs to do to get the job done, pointing to the last four points of the state championship match as the perfect example. She remained calm and set Randorf up perfectly for four kills in a row.

Coach Coughlin was quick to point out, though, that every member of this special team made an impact. Whether they saw many game minutes or not, each girl was chosen to be on that team for a reason and made her mark in her own way.

This was indeed a special team and a special season, led by a special group of seniors. Each team member had a role and could be counted on whenever called upon. The end result was a state championship, but it was also so much more than that. This team understood the importance of sacrifice and hard work. This team did not get distracted by rankings and expectations. This team truly became a family as they dedicated their season to one of their own, forced to watch from the sideline. This team met every goal they had set for themselves.

“Playoff Joce” Carter '21 bringing the energy

Ava Nestor ’21 sets for one of her teammates

2020 Mission. Accomplished.

“Winning a state championship was the perfect way to end my high school career. It is something that I have dreamed about since the day I became a part of the Gilmour volleyball program. The second the ball dropped for us to win the final point, it was the most amazing feeling. All the hard work put in by the players and coaches I have gotten the pleasure to be with over my four years at Gilmour had paid off.”