The Sentinel-Record - HER - Hot Springs
HER Family
Knott-DeBords count team as extension of their family
The family atmosphere of Cutter Morning Star High School’s volleyball team has taken on a new meaning this year as three sisters have taken to the court together.
The Knott-DeBords — McKenna, Brecken and Kendyll — found their love of the sport just a few years ago. While competitive with each other in all athletics, they continue to not only support each other but their fellow teammates.
“I think it’s kind of the community of it all,” McKenna, who is in 11th grade, said of the team. “No matter the mistakes you make, you feel like your team is going to be right there backing you up and you’re not fighting alone. It’s nice to know that people are always going to be there to lift you up. You’re not always going to get that in life. So to have it now and to try to grow that together, and have that team around you, you can have that team around you your whole life. That’s probably the best part of it.”
When Coach Brittany Senn took over the volleyball team starting this summer, the team that had struggled for a few years took a positive turn that ultimately took them to state finals in October. Even in the defeats the team took this season, Senn said the girls have competed in a way that other schools have taken notice of.
“We played a lot of bigger schools at the beginning of the year that really helped prepare us for conference,” she said. “I had a lot of coaches tell us how improved the girls are. Sheridan’s coach noted that in the paper and we beat some big schools. We beat White Hall. We beat Waldron. They’ve done some really good things.”
Brecken, 10th grade, said she and younger sister, Kendyll, first found
volleyball around seventh grade.
“We had an old coach, Coach Freeman, and before we had just a varsity team, and I was in like seventh grade maybe, and he would let us come and practice with them,” Brecken said. “Then my younger sister joined so I guess it’s kind of like how we started doing volleyball. He kind of led us into it.”
The Knott-DeBord girls have been coached by Senn in other sports for the better part of five years, with one year off when the girls moved to the Bauxite School District.
“They’re very competitive with one another in basketball, in track,” she said. “They don’t want to be outdone by one another, but at the same time, they’re all obviously very supportive of one another, too. … Being sisters I think that’s just part of it.
“It’s a good thing that they can push each other to be their best, but at the end of the day they support each other and love each other. That translates into our full team as well.”
Brecken said the team is very much a family for her.
“Our team is pretty much like a little family,” she said. “Everybody from the volleyball team plays basketball so we were all together in basketball before volleyball started and so we can all yell at each other, but we’re best friends two seconds later. It’s really nice to have a family on the court.”
Senn, who also coaches the girls’ basketball team, said the sisters will finally be on the basketball court all together next year as well when the youngest, Kendyll, currently in ninth grade, moves up.
“All my girls are great kids and they work hard together,” Senn said. “They may bicker and get angry with each other on the court, but the very next play I can look over and they’re laughing with each other, hugging each other. No one stays mad. That’s how close this group is.”