“Unshakable”- the volleyball motto of the year. And that’s certainly what the Lightning ladies were this season.
Led by seniors Taylor Brockmeier, Bailey Halliburton, Hannah Kuhlman, and Adriana Studer, LCL finished 37-8 on the season, including an undefeated 7-0 Conference record that set them up as the Midwest Classic Champions. While they were dominant in the regular season, winning several of their attended tournaments and donning an impressive record, the Lightning were also able to carry their success through into the playoffs.
Playing with home court advantage (in front of the wildly supportive Lightning Nation) was certainly a benefit as playoffs went on, but remaining at LCL wasn’t enough for the team. They defeated Randolph in the sectional finals on October 30th to cement their State trip, and on November 4th, the girls earned escorts from LCL to the Resch Center in Green Bay for the biggest tournament of the year.
The following morning, the #1-seeded Lightning handled #4 Unity in four sets, continuing to prove how skilled and unshakable they really were as a group. Unfortunately, the next day, LCL fell to Howards Grove in three sets in the State Championship. While the result initially stung the team and fans, there was much to be celebrated as the girls brought the Silver Ball back to Hartland the next week.
The 2021 Lightning volleyball team always brought energy with them- whether it be energy of their own on the court, or energy from the electric student section during home games and championships. Through the ups and downs that come in a season, the girls proved to remain “unshakable” no matter what, as displayed by the new, shiny piece of hardware now in the trophy case back at school.