Lincoln beach volleyball picking up where it left off, undefeated to start the 2022 season
The sandy shores of Tom Brown Park have been friendly to the Trojans early in the spring. The courts are just across the street from Lincoln High School, but the Trojans have defended the sand courts like Troy.
After winning the 2021 district championship, and this being the first season the sport is sanctioned by the FHSAA, Lincoln is looking to meet the standard it set last season and go even further. So far, the Trojans have been perfect as a team, standing at 5-0 on the year and No. 2 in the state according to the latest FHSAA rankings.
"Coming off the win last year and finishing as district champs, we were able to return a lot of players that know the beach game," Trojans head coach Greg Garrett said. "Some of our strategy and court awareness and two on two-game has really helped. We've played Chiles 3-2 and some of the matches went to the third game and it was the same thing for Leon."
Execution has been huge as Garrett said, allowing them to best indoor powers Chiles and Leon. Lincoln has also blanked Maclay and Community Christian, 5-0, to start the season alongside the two LCS wins. Wednesday, it added another tally to its win total, edging past a young Florida High squad.
It was a game that showed that every team has its own way of challenging the Trojans as the young Seminoles squad were competitive throughout the day and didn't allow Lincoln to run away with a win as easily.
"I want to give more credit to the Florida High team. They're young, scrappy, and fought hard," Garrett said. "We talked to the team in the beginning and told them that this was going to be a team that was going to hustle and pick up a lot of scrappy points. We wanted to be more technically efficient and composed as we were. I'm happy with the outcome."
Lincoln has seen a lot of its success come out of its upperclassman and their ability to adjust and execute. Emi Dooley and Marisa Abarca have been two "savvy" players for Lincoln this season according to Garrett while Skyla Sutherland and Ashlyn Koerner have proven to be Swiss Army knives of sorts on the court.
"They're [Sutherland and Koerner] five-tool players," Garrett said. "They can hit, set, serve and defend, and at this point, as they get older, it's just about knowing how well they can impose themselves."
On another side of the game, Lincoln has gotten a boost from two of its biggest cheerleaders: Lauren Taylor Lozano and Alli Tawney. The energy level was at a 10 for the duo as they weren't just cheering on their teammates from the sidelines, but brought the energy on the court as well.
In a game that is only comprised of four competitors, energy has a large impact than most would expect. Garrett said that his team was a little down early, with the rainy weather playing a factor, but players like Tawney and Lozano play a role in forcing their teammates to bring up their energy levels.
"They're our hype team and hype players," Garrett said. "Lincoln has had a great culture over the last few years and is always cheering for each other. Alli and LT are the true beach girls and they're going to go out there, be loud, and love the game. They recognize it's fun first and the sport second. I love that they do that and they cheer for everyone."
Will and want is the theme for Lincoln this season. Now having a chance to compete for an FHSAA state championship, they want to have an attitude that they are the best team when they take the court. Early on in the season, they've shown the damage that they can do, but it's about continuously staying ahead of teams like Chiles and Leon that are catching up.
"Our belief this year is will and want," Garrett said. "If we believe we're the best team out here, then we need to be willing to work harder and want it more. If we are already the best team or we feel like we've separated ourselves, the only thing a team can take away from us is what we're willing to do and how much more they want it us."
Jack Williams covers prep sports for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com, on Twitter @jackgwilliams.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Lincoln beach volleyball picking up where it left off with undefeated start
