A Championship Volunteer Atmosphere

January 30, 2013

[bitsontherun KHCROIPI]

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — Dominance is a word applied only to those who show it on a consistent basis. The Starkville Academy girls’ basketball team have enjoyed their fair share of dominance.

(Southern Sports & Travel)
The Starkville Academy Lady Vols basketball team after winning the Division II MAIS Class AAA championship back in 2012.

Over the past year, the Lady Vols have won a remarkable 39 games in a row to go along with winning the MAIS Class AAA Division, MAIS Class AAA, and MAIS Overall state titles in the 2011-2012 season.

Dominance may be putting it mildly. But that winning streak number continues to grow. To the Lady Vols though, it’s just a number.

“We’re not really worried about that (39 games in a row),” said Starkville Academy head coach Glenn Schmidt. “The girls don’t really talk about it. You’ll have trouble getting them to say something about it.”

We certainly did – and that’s because the Volunteers aren’t caught up in numbers or stats. It’s all about the success on the floor, and that prowess on the hardwood is a product of the chemistry the team has built over time.

“The more you play with some people, the better off you are,” senior guard Tiffany Huddleston said. “We started playing a lot this past summer, which got us to know each other and how each of us play.”

Starkville Academy currently sits at 30-0 this season, as they’re closing in on eclipsing their 37-5 mark from a year ago. The logical goal to begin the season would be to one-up the 2011-2012 season, but that wasn’t the case from coach Schmidt.

“We haven’t said anything,” said Schmidt. “I think it’s the players expectations that generate your goals and I think they have some.”

“I don’t think she wanted to add any more pressure,” Huddleston said. “We won it last year and that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen this year.”

“We’re keeping it in the back of our heads,” said senior guard Maggie Proffitt. “We’re keeping it one game at a time. That’s definitely our goal in the end to win it.”

It’s 39 and counting for the Lady Vols, who continue to follow the motto that has been ingrained in the team since day one.

“Our mentality is one practice at a time, one game at a time,” senior guard Anna Lea Little said. “Just give it your all every time you step out there. That’s how we approach every game.”