Liberty Blue Jays volleyball: Mind over matter
LIBERTY, Mo. — Another Blue Jays Volleyball season is underway. The program has had continued success over the years under the direction of Head Coach April Fleming. This is Coach Fleming’s twentieth year at Liberty and 18th as head coach. During that time, the Jays have won five conference championships and seven district titles and have finished on the podium at state two times, with a fourth-place finish in 2014 and a third-place finish in 2019.
Along with this sustained team success, volleyball alums from the Jays have also been going on to college success. Last year, the team finished with a 35-3 record, and several players from the team have moved on to the next level, including Aishia Aiono to the University of Kansas and Ashley Mullen to UCLA. Last summer, junior all-state right-side hitter Abigail Mullen represented the United States at the U19 World Championships held in Europe. The team won gold.
Fleming, hailing from the small farming town of Alma, Missouri, is no stranger to volleyball success. Alma is known as a bit of a Missouri volleyball mecca. It is home to Santa Fe High School, which boasts the most appearances in the Final Four of any school in the state, with twenty-three trips over the years, resulting in seven state championships. Fleming got to be a part of that success with a spot on the state runner-up Sante Fe team and then played volleyball in college for the Bearcats at Northwest Missouri State University, where she channeled her academic love for biology and health science into physical education and coaching.
“I went into coaching because through college, I worked at various youth camps, and I realized through those youth camps that I really enjoyed it and wanted to pursue it further,” says Fleming.
As fate would have it, Fleming’s future father-in-law hired her at Liberty after she graduated from college.
Regarding the program’s long-term success, Fleming says, “First, I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by the best coaching staff. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with; they’ve just been top-notch. Secondly, I think the community and the support that our athletes get from their parents. It is a lot of traveling and dedication to the sport in the offseason with clubs. The club season is longer than the high school season anymore. So just having a good community and parents willing to spend the time to get their kids the training they need.”
When Fleming took over the program, she knew success had to start with the youth. So, she ended up founding a program, Liberty Juniors, for kids to start learning the game at an early age, providing kids with an opportunity to practice, develop skills, and play the game.
The high school program has plenty of opportunities for athletes to develop and improve.
“There’s not a lot of downtime during the year,” says Fleming. “We have a schedule with goals we want to reach and things we want to establish in practice. And we grind and spend time analyzing our team on film. It is not just August through November. It’s all summer long. It’s early morning workouts and athletic strength training. They are at school earlier than everybody else and developing speed and agility. We’re doing all the training and things it takes to be great.”
This season, there are five seniors on the team who have worked hard and strived for excellence in the Liberty program over the past four years. They include Bella Barber, Macy Bartlett, Paiton Hodges, Naomi Fuller, and Laina Cramer.
Senior Bella Barber has played volleyball since the fourth grade. She likes mathematics and intends to become an orthodontist someday, fostering an interest in the profession while interning through LHS. There are a lot of lessons Barber has learned from being on this Jays team she can carry forward into her future.
“Coach always says 鈥榤ind over matter,鈥�” says Barber. “That has been a big thing for me this past year. It is a mindset. You must tell yourself that if things aren’t going your way, it is a mindset that you can overcome and do anything. Being on this team has taught me to be a good teammate for others and help encourage people.”
“I just love the pressure,” says Barber. “I like working hard, not just for myself, but for my team. I’ve made most of my close friends through volleyball.”
A senior on the team that likes math and history is Macy Bartlett. She intends to gear her future college education to marketing and business.
From volleyball, which Bartlett has played since the third grade, she has learned, “You have to keep pushing. Every day is a new day. If you had a bad day yesterday, move on. You can have a new day. There is really nothing like this team. We have created such a family.”
Barlett’s goal for this season is to stay consistent with her hitting. Her goal for the team is to go to state.
In her eight years of playing volleyball, Laina Cramer has learned not to be too hard on herself when things don’t go as expected.
“I think that just goes with everything,” says Cramer. “Make sure that you’re enjoying your time while you have it. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you make a mistake. Just keep your head up when things don’t go your way. I love the friends and the atmosphere around the game. You see your friends every day, and game days are always fun.”
Cramer’s favorite subject in school is English, but she is interested in studying physical therapy in college.
Naomi Fuller grew up playing soccer and basketball but concentrated on volleyball in middle school.
“Being on this team has really taught me the importance of family and community within the team,” says Fuller. “We’re not here to play the sport. We’re here to grow and learn together.”
For this season, Fuller’s goals are to get better blocks and have more consistent hitting as a team with good communication.
Paiton Hodges intends to study mechanical engineering after high school. She has learned not to be afraid to try new things and to be a player who goes out on the court and does whatever the team needs.
“I think we have a lot of fun in practice,” says Hodges. “It doesn’t feel like you have to be dragged to practice or anything, especially in the summer. We are always trying to work out; everyone is very consistent.”
The coaching staff of Jays Volleyball has played a critical role in the team’s success. They have instilled a culture of hard work and determination in the players and have helped them develop their skills both on and off the court. The coaches have also provided the players with the support and guidance they need to succeed in volleyball and life. The success of Liberty High School’s Volleyball team has not gone unnoticed.
“I am proud of each kid every year, you know, whether they go on to play higher-level volleyball or go on to be super successful businesswomen,” says Coach Fleming. “I feel pride in the relationships that have been built with a lot of these girls. I love going to their bridal and baby showers and their weddings and being a part of their lives past the high school experience.”
The Blue Jays Volleyball team is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The team’s success is a testament to the talent and skill of the players, as well as the coaching staff’s ability to develop and cultivate that talent. We wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors, both on and off the court.
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