Video by Davis DeLoach and Cassidy Pickrell
KCBY-TV Sports
Story By Sammy Robben
Sports Editor
This year the Coppell Cowgirls volleyball team made history with Coppell’s first volleyball state championship, and now, with the rings on their hands, it is official.
The Cowgirls rings have a number of symbolic elements including the number of gems on the ring and their season motto, “Compete”.
“All our rings are the same with our names on them, our team motto ‘compete’ in Greek as well as our record, 16 gems for the 16 girls on the team, and of course state champions 2011,” junior Cassidy Pickrell said.
In November, the Cowgirls played seven playoff matches in order to get the opportunity to go up against the McKinney Boyd Lady Broncos in the Class 5A state championship match. The Cowgirls, who had already played one close match in the state semifinals, were determined to beat the Lady Broncos, which they did in a very close four game match.
The Cowgirls made history as the Coppell volleyball team to win a state championship, as well as being coach Julie Green’s second state championship in a row, first at Lake Travis high School and second at CHS. Many of the Cowgirls agree this experience tops every win they had this season, and will be what they remember for the rest of their lives.
“I am always going to remember this season,” senior setter Sarah Arnold said. “All these girls, I love them so much and we went through all this together and getting to state together was incredible. We have worked really hard and to come out and finish and be number one it feels amazing.”
On Thursday morning in the CHS commons, the Cowgirls were recognized for their achievement in a ceremony, in which the Cowgirls were awarded their state championship rings. Coppell ISD Superintendent Jeff Turner and Coppell High School Principal Mike Jasso gave the rings to the Cowgirls. Turner, Jasso and Green all spoke at the ceremony, congratulating the Cowgirls on their hard work and dedication.
For each of the Cowgirls, these rings are more than just pieces of metal. They symbolize a year of hard work resulting in an historical win and an experience they could never forget.
“I will use this state ring to motivate me because this is something you have to earn,” sophomore Kate Dicken said. “During our volleyball season, we worked really hard everyday, conditioning and practicing for nearly four hours a day, and this ring is to show how everything we did paid off. “
Now, just three months later, the Cowgirls are looking forward to how they can repeat this victory again next year. In the midst of grueling offseason workouts, the Cowgirls will use their rings as constant motivation to work harder or another state championship. The Cowgirls now know what it takes to win, and will do anything to get there again.
“If we want a repeat of our last season, we will have to do what we did again, but better as a team,” Dickens said. “This ring is to show that now, we know it is possible, it is just a matter of if we are willing to put in the same effort as we had before, and if we do, this will be our reward.”
These rings serve as a reminder of all of the hard times the Cowgirls faced on the journey to state and the win they will never forget.
“The ring symbolizes the whole journey my team took to get to state and win, how we fought for every point and every game, and how we stayed together as a team through tough times and prevailed in the end despite what everyone else thought about us,” Pickrell said. “It symbolizes our unity, strength and of course our champion mentality.”
