The Cleveland volleyball team has had a tumultuous experience in recent years. The Warriors went into this season with a new coach, their third one in many years. Alex Gainer took over the reins as head coach this year, inheriting a team made up of many experienced varsity players and others who were playing at the varsity level for the first time. In Gainer’s first year, Cleveland made significant strides, finishing with a 10-10 record and tying McDaniel for fourth in the PIL standings. The Warriors just missed out on the playoffs, but the improvements this year set a good path for the future of the Cleveland volleyball program. Additionally, junior outside hitter Karina Lee was named to the All PIL first team. 

Cleveland went into the season with just four seniors on the team, and only one underclassman. There were very few players returning from the team last year, so Gainer and the seniors were tasked with overseeing the new players. Senior Shea Appleyard enjoyed playing her final year while also helping guide the new players.

“This year was incredible and I had a great time building a family and community with Coach Gainer,” said Appleyard. “I’m so excited for the future of Cleveland volleyball!”

Junior Karina Lee, who has played on varsity all three years of her high school career, also expressed how proud she was of the team’s performance during the season. 

“I was really happy with how we played this year,” said Lee. “This was the closest the team has been to playoffs in my three years on varsity.”

Lee expressed that she was “proud of the team’s grit and the connections they built on a deeper level.”

The team emphasized school spirit and support throughout the season. At every home game, fans were seen dressed up in accordance with the theme of that game. The support from the fans continued to grow as the season progressed, which Appleyard appreciated.

“Sometimes it feels like we deserve more attention from the school and community, and there were definitely points where I felt that way,” Appleyard said. “But the fans who do show up are so devoted. Volleyball is so fun to watch and the fans who came to the games kept coming back.” 

Overall, the Warriors made some significant improvements, and the future of the program looks very promising.