Pictured are Lamar volleyball coach Courtney Schimelpfening, left, and freshman Caroline Frugé, the 2021 Premier Preps Volleyball Coach and Player of the Year.

The Lamar volleyball can still be considered in its infancy stage, but the Lady Raiders made massive strides this past fall in just their third season to compete in the sport.

After starting a volleyball team at Lamar in 2019, head coach Courtney Schimelpfening guided the Lady Raiders to steady improvement in three seasons, culminating in a berth in the MAIS Division II state championship match in October. A key part of that success was freshman Caroline Frugé, who ended the year with 201 kills, 236 digs and 82 aces.

Because of their success in 2021, Schimelpfening has been named Premier Preps Volleyball Coach of the Year, and Frugé was selected as Premier Preps Volleyball Player of the Year.

“It’s a great honor to be named coach of the year,” Schimelpfening said. “I think it means even more with us being such a new program, and it’s an honor and privilege to be a part of this program and helping grow and build the sport in this area.”

Frugé said she never would have dreamed being named player of the year, and she said the recognition is one she shares with all of her Lady Raider teammates.

“It’s a huge honor to be the one to represent the consistent work our team put in this season,” Frugé said. “It’s something I can honor and thank my team for because they made it possible. There are so many athletes that are so determined and hard-working, and to be recognized makes me proud and beyond thankful for the people who got me here. This sport is so important to me and so many people that I couldn’t be happier to represent it in the most positive way I can.”

Schimelpfening said she felt like the team had good potential at the start of the season despite being fairly young. 

“We knew we had some extremely talented athletes and powerful weapons we planned on using against teams we were somewhat familiar with,” Schimelpfening explained. “I think the expectations were definitely met. I guess no one would have anticipated we would go to the finals, but after taking such a big win against one of the 6A schools, we started to gain even more momentum.”

That win was a 3-2 victory against Jackson Prep on Sept. 16, and Schimelpfening said the feeling of accomplishment overwhelmed her players at first, but they quickly used it to catapult themselves to a strong finish.

“I know we felt like it had been a tough season (up to that point) being so young and grinding it out,” Schimelpfening said. “Beating Prep in any sport is big, and it was monumental for our little program.”

After setting goals before the season, Frugé said getting a win against Jackson Prep gave her and her teammates confidence that those goals could be reached.

“We knew we could challenge whoever came our way,” Frugé said. “Even though we were confident that we had a really good team, the win over such a good program as Prep validated the belief that we had in our abilities.”

In addition to her teammates, Frugé also credited Schimelpfening for the team’s success and said her getting coach of the year was a fitting reward for the work Schimelpfening has done with the Lady Raiders.

“When Coach Courtney sees the potential in someone, she goes to work,” Frugé said. “She gives the team drive and never fails to remind us to have fun because this is the game that we love. She will give you hours of your time to make you the best she can. Her focus isn’t only on technique or how well you perform, but you energy and mindset, which has shown me just how important that is. The lessons she works so hard to teach us are usually not only about volleyball but lessons you can take into life. One of my favorite quotes of hers is, ‘How you do one thing is how you do everything.’”

Likewise, Schimelpfening said Frugé was more than deserving to be named player of the year.

“She was a force to be reckoned with this year,” Schimelpfening said. “College coaches are going to want to keep their eye out for her. She’s one of the hardest-working athletes any program can have. Her ability to carry the energy of the team in a sport like volleyball, that’s something that’s extremely important. Her attitude, the way she carries the culture we try to breed at Lamar, she’s just an outstanding all-around player. Defensively, she’s amazing, and offensively, she’s relentless.”

With no starters or subs graduating in the spring, Schimelpfening said expectations for next fall are high.

“We know we’ll be extremely talented and a lot more seasoned,” Schimelpfening said. “We’ll be bigger, stronger and faster in all aspects of the game. I’m really looking for us to take the gold next year. We have girls playing all year round for us in club (volleyball), so that’s continuing to grow the sport and the experience of our athletes as well.”

Frugé said she’s already looking forward to her sophomore season.

“I can’t begin to guess what next season will have for us,” Frugé said. “We beyond exceeded our expectations for this season, and to be able to go into next season with these amazing teammates makes me so excites. Obviously, we’re all eager to win the championship next year and are going to push ourselves to get there. We know that this group of people can accomplish whatever we set our minds to.”