Laykin Peek will be the first to tell you the 2024 Hopkinsville volleyball season did not reach the goals established in the preseason except for one – improvement.
The Lady Tiger coach told her squad at Thursday’s postseason banquet that she felt her players not only grew as players but as women.
“It was definitely a rough season for us. It wasn’t the outcome that we were hoping for. However, I feel like each individual, all of you, grew tremendously as a woman and grew tremendously on the volleyball court,” she said. “We learned a lot of things. We learned how to deal with a lot of situations. And I feel like you can take each and everything you learned and take it outside of volleyball into the world, and be phenomenal, successful women.”
Hopkinsville graduates two seniors from its team that finished 2-26. Peek heaped praise on those seniors – Maliah Miller and Danaja Wheeler.
“We will definitely miss y’all even though you are the two quietest ones in the gym. I think I got maybe four words out of the three years I’ve been coaching, but that smile, you can’t compete with Danaja’s smile,” Peek said. “Maliah would definitely have a conversation with you, but she is very, very quiet. You have to tell her to speak up and she’ll be really shy. But she’s a very smart woman and she’s going to do great things as well.”
The cupboard is far from bare for Peek in 2025 thanks to 4-6 returning starters and a large middle school team with nearly 30 players.
“Hopefully we can build a nice feeder program to feed our high school program and get some more players in here to build this team,” she said.
Peek also had one final message for her players as they head into a very important offseason ahead of the school’s final year of sports before they consolidate with Christian County High School in 2026.
“Everybody’s seeing the potential that you have moving forward and how much more you can grow. Just keep doing everything that you were doing in the gym, but also make sure that you are doing something outside of the gym as well.”
VARSITY AWARDS
Danaja Wheeler – Leadership Award, Most Digs
Saralynn Major – Hustle Award
Alayna King – Most Assists
Madysen Taggart – Most Kills, Most Aces, Most Blocks
JUNIOR VARSITY AWARDS
Kaley Bangart – Hustle Award
Saralynn Major – Leadership Award
FRESHMEN AWARDS
Sau Kunipo Esteban – Hustle Award
Bella Sparks – Leadership Award
ACADEMIC AWARDS
Brook Stewart, Nathalie Hernandez, Kyleigh Weber, Saralynn Major, Madysen Taggart, Kaley Bangart, Courtney Scott, Sau Kunipo Esteban, Lily Lancaster, and Alayna King
