Photograph by Jake McNeill. Marshall outdoors hitter Reese Drake jumps as much as try a shot in the course of the Class AAA women volleyball quarterfinal match towards Monticello on the Excel Power Heart in St. Paul on November 6. Drake was named the 2024 Unbiased Volleyball Participant of the Yr.
MARSHALL — Within the 2024 season, the Marshall women volleyball workforce fielded a youthful and fewer skilled workforce than most seasons. The three-time state champions had simply two seniors on the roster and had been understated by their lofty requirements, ranked No. 6 within the preseason coaches ballot. Nonetheless, the Tigers defied expectations and put collectively one other run to the state championship with a proficient younger core. Among the many key elements of that run to the Class AAA championship was junior outfielder Reese Drake, the 2024 Unbiased Participant of the Yr.
“I respect all the popularity. I used to be excited to listen to about it, however on the finish of the day, it actually comes all the way down to a workforce award.” Drake stated. “We wouldn't be receiving any of those awards with out the success our workforce has had and all the popularity and laborious work we put into our season.”
Drake completed the season with a well-rounded stat line of 505 kills, 483 digs, 24 ace blocks and 36 service aces. Past the amount stats, she was environment friendly together with her numbers, posting a .279 hitting proportion and an excellent 98% serve price. She was additionally named to the Class AAA All-State and All-Match groups.
“Reese has been capable of rating towards everybody we've performed this 12 months” Marshall head coach Dan Westby stated. “She has developed a variety of outdoor photographs which have helped her develop into an efficient attacker. Her all-around recreation helped her develop into an All-State participant.”
Reese Drake was a third-team all-area choice final season. Her older sister, Kennedy, was a second-team choice after recording 475 digs because the Tigers' libero earlier than taking part in defensive specialist for Southwest Minnesota State. Though Reese doesn't bear in mind particularly when she first took up the game, she stated taking part in within the yard with Kennedy and her neighbors Jayda and Lexie Bednarek helped her develop her love for the game.
Whereas the numbers inform the story of how efficient a hitter Drake is, she's not your common outdoors hitter. Standing at 5-foot-Eight, she was a number of inches shorter than her fellow hitters and opposing blockers. Nevertheless, she discovered a approach to make use of her explosive leaping skill to beat the peak distinction.
“I'm slightly batsman and I at all times stated, 'Yeah, I'll cross or no matter', till Mr Westby stated, 'You've obtained to bat'” Drake stated. “I knew I simply needed to fill that position for my workforce. Despite the fact that generally I knew I wasn't going to be the largest hitter and I wasn't going to hit the ball, I knew I might discover different methods to attain from my workforce, whether or not it's off-speed or all the opposite photographs I’ve.”
She added that she was in a position to make use of her blockers to search out open spots on the courtroom, permitting her to take a extra assorted strategy to her hitting.
As somebody who appeared in passing as a result of he stated that Westby at all times stated: “If you happen to can cross, you’ll be able to play” Drake's talent set is flexible. She stated she has no desire as to the place she performs, doing what she will be able to to assist her workforce in the back and front rows, and stated she has been approached to play in the back and front rows when she needs to proceed her volleyball profession on the collegiate stage in two years.
In Marshall's 2023 state championship run, Drake was a key participant, incomes all-tournament honors. Though he was instrumental within the final victory, this 12 months was completely different. The Tigers had graduated 5 of the 9 gamers who performed in all three units of the state championship recreation, together with 4 starters, so Drake needed to step into extra of a management position.
“Final 12 months, I had seniors convey me in and train me all of the issues they know.” Drake stated. “I'm very aggressive, so I attempt to lead by instance on the courtroom on a regular basis… We at all times say your age doesn't matter. You’ve the identical position on the workforce as anybody older or youthful than you, so I really feel like we had been making an attempt to say [the underclassmen] that it doesn't matter [that they’re less experienced]. Strive to verify they’re calm earlier than these video games and large video games are similar to every other recreation. You simply need to go on the market and compete and attempt to calm them down.”
Within the warmth of competitors, Drake described himself as having a never-say-die angle. As such, she tries to instill the identical confidence in her colleagues.
“A part of it was simply that my workforce relied on me, so I felt like I might by no means let myself down. As a result of then the workforce can be like, “Oh no, Reese's down, we will't do this.” Drake stated. “I felt like I had to verify I used to be at all times optimistic and bringing that to them.”
The matches that Marshall struggles with are few and much between. Earlier than this 12 months's state championship recreation, they hadn't misplaced a recreation to a non-Class 4A opponent since 2021. Within the uncommon occasion they’re down, Drake stated the workforce simply goals to bounce again to the basics to regroup and work. collectively as a workforce.
Heading into the 12 months, Drake stated the workforce wrote down targets similar to enhancing by 1 % every day, successful the part and convention and advancing to the state event. Because the workforce contemplated the truth that, in a uncommon flip of occasions, the Tigers weren't ranked No. 1 within the Class AAA preseason rankings, Drake stated the gamers thought of it however tried take away and take issues in a single match. at a given time.
“We had been actually powerful juniors and we've all performed collectively since we had been younger, so I really feel like we've all been actually shut. Simply competing towards a few of my greatest pals and with this workforce was positively one in every of my favourite elements.” Drake stated. “Simply see them on daily basis at observe after which we'd spend on daily basis of the week principally collectively.”
The technique paid off as Marshall picked up ranked wins over Willmar and Stillwater Space to begin the season. The Tigers labored their approach as much as the No. 2 rating as they headed into the postseason.
For the primary two rounds of the part event, it was enterprise as traditional for the Tigers as they labored their approach by the competitors. Nevertheless, a Willmar workforce that Marshall swept earlier within the season gave Marshall bother within the sectional title match, claiming the primary set 27-25 handy Marshall its first set lack of 2021.
Nonetheless, the Tigers rallied for 25-21 wins in every of the subsequent two units, and Drake took over offensively within the fourth set because the Tigers dropped the clincher, 25-Eight. She had a game-high 23 kills within the win.
The Tigers cruised by the primary two video games of the state event. Prime-seeded Delano had misplaced to No. 5 Alexandria within the semifinals, making Marshall the highest seed within the state championship recreation. Whereas Drake had 20 kills and 20 digs within the match, Alexandria upset the second-seeded Tigers in 4 units.
“It wasn't the end result we had been hoping for, however we had been so proud to put second at state. I imply, Alexandria was a extremely good workforce, the sport was near the top, however I feel simply going by that loss will assist push us and make us higher.” Drake stated. “Make us work more durable in observe. It positively wasn't the end result we needed, clearly we needed to get that four-peat and convey it again, however it simply didn't work out that approach. However it is going to positively encourage us subsequent 12 months.”
Drake will now flip her consideration to ladies basketball for the winter season, a sport through which she was first workforce all-area as a sophomore, and can look to construct on that success on the prep stage for one more 12 months in each sports activities after that. .
Drake stated she needed to thank her teaching workers for working to make the Tigers higher on daily basis and thank the Marshall B workforce for coming into observe and competing to push the varsity group.