The 2020 Catoosa/walker County Volleyball Dream Team
Lauren Francis doesn’t do much talking on the court, which goes along with her quiet demeanor off the court as well.
But with a player as talented as Francis is, the numbers and results simply speak for themselves.
After a honorable mention spot on the Dream Team as a freshman, Francis made a name for herself in a big way as a sophomore.
The Heritage setter recorded 380 assists, but also recorded 157 kills, 85 aces, 112 digs and 80 blocks to collect first team All-area honors and earn a first team spot on the 2019 Dream Team.
Then came this past fall, Francis’ junior season, which was good enough to earn the 2020 Catoosa County Volleyball Player of the Year award.
A well-rounded club, both offensively and defensively, the Lady Generals amassed a 36-8 record, an Area 7-AAAA championship and three consecutive 3-0 sweeps in the Class AAAA state playoffs before finally bowing out to eventual state champion Marist.
Heritage’s Final Four appearance was the first in the program’s long and successful history and Francis was a key cog in the machine.
Showing off her improved hitting skills, she recorded 267 kills to go with 468 assists, 88 aces, 278 digs and 42 blocks.
“At first, the season was a little rocky because last year was my first year ever hitting,” she explained. “But now I love hitting and I’m just glad I got to be a part of a team with these seniors.
“I’ve been with them since middle school and I was glad we got to go as far as we did with (the seniors) this (past) season. I would rather be with them, doing what we were able to do (this past year), than during my own senior year.”
And while Francis knows this year’s seniors will leave some giant shoes to fill, she’s also aware she still has one more season left to reach her ultimate goal.
“I still want to win state, of course,” she added. “I’m so proud we went as far as we did, being the farthest our volleyball team has ever gone, but I really want to win state next year.”
Already Lafayette’s all-time leader in assists, Colby Charland broke her own single-season mark — and was second in the entire state, according to Maxpreps — with 1,027 this past fall, putting her on the cusp of 3,000 for her career with one season still to go.
“It’s good to know that all the work I’m putting in is equaling to something, but it’s a team effort,” said Charland, who had 846 assists as a freshman and added another 1,010 as a sophomore. “I may have gotten another 1,000 assists, but they are ‘our’ assists because I couldn’t do it without the passers and I couldn’t do without the hitters. But I’ve worked very hard and I’m pleased with the outcome.”
However, setting up her teammates for kills is only part of what makes Charland one of the most well-rounded players to ever wear a Lafayette uniform.
In 2020, the 5-foot-11 setter also racked up 103 aces, 119 kills, 42 blocks and 307 digs, putting her just shy of 350 career kills, 875 career digs and 130 career blocks, and just over 250 career aces.
A three-time All-area pick, twice on the first team, Charland earned 6-AAA Player of the Year honors this past fall and picked up a second straight All-state first team award.
And today, she receives a new honor as the 2020 Karissa Tatum Walker County Volleyball Co-player of the Year.
“I’m very pleased with how the season ended up and I thought we worked really hard for it,” Charland said about her team’s 6-AAA championship season and subsequent run to the Elite Eight. “As a whole, the team grew a lot and by the end of the season, we were really like a family. We were all spending time together, off the court and on the court, and we all just worked hard every day in practice. It was a lot of work, but it was also fun.”
Charland said she is already looking at potential college destinations, but says she knows there is still work to do once the 2021 prep season rolls around this fall.
“I think we’ll have big shoes to fill, but there is no doubt in my mind that we can’t end up in the same place or better than we did this (past) year,” she added. “I’m super excited and I’m just ready to come in and work hard.”
The past 20 years have seen volleyball become one of the most successful and tradition-rich girls’ sports at Gordon Lee High School with numerous area championships, several deep playoff runs and a number of players who have garnered All-area and All-state status.
This past season would be no different as the Lady Trojans claimed another area title and went on to make their first-ever appearance in the Class AA/A Public School state finals.
But 2020 also saw junior Brooklyn Hudson put up arguably the greatest individual statistical season in program history. The 5-foot-10 junior hitter enjoyed career-highs in kills (478), digs (365), aces (80), blocks (71) and hitting percentage (.391). She was seventh in the state in kills, 20th in hitting percentage and in the top 40 of the state in digs, according to stats compiled by Maxpreps.
“This year was really good,” said Hudson. “I’m just really glad that with everything going with COVID, we were able to push through and make this our best year. Our team really meshed.
“Everyone loves each other and we try really hard (for each other). I was so glad we were able to (play for a state championship) for our seniors and our coaches, even though (the finals) didn’t go the way we wanted.”
Postseason honors included a second straight Area 7-AA/A Player of the Year award and a second consecutive All-state first team honor. Today, Hudson adds to that list as the 2020 Karissa Tatum Walker County Volleyball Co-player of the Year.
“I really try to bring our team together because, personally, I love this sport so much,” she explained. “I want to go to college for it and I work hard every day and during club season.
“I was able to reach (1,000 career kills) by my junior year, but the only way for me to get that was because of my passers and setters. Individually, everyone contributes to our successes.”
And with one season left and plenty of experience returning, Hudson said there is only one goal for her final season.
“A state title,” she said. “That would be great.”