Lamar volleyball defeated Simpson Academy 3-1 at Mississippi College on Wednesday to earn the program’s second Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Division II Championship. Lamar coach Courtney Schimelpfening said early-season matches against Division I teams prepared the Raiders to play under the bright lights of A.E. Wood Coliseum.

“We played well,” Schimelpfening said. “Getting into this arena in this atmosphere can be really intimidating and feel like such a big moment, and you always wonder if you’ve prepared your girls for that moment or not, and I truly feel like our girls were totally prepared for this moment. And, I think because of our size, they exceeded so many people’s expectations. I wouldn’t say we were underdogs, we’re just smaller dogs.”

Coming off the volleyball team’s first MAIS Division II Championship, Lamar opened the 2023 season with four losses in six straight matches against Division I teams. The early losses brought some question marks around the reigning champion’s ability to compete for another championship, but they also allowed the Raiders to improve against tough competition while recognizing flaws in their play.

Lamar finished the regular season 17-13 and earned the No. 1 seed in the Division II bracket before sweeping Rossville Christian in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Simpson Academy defeated Pillow Academy 3-1 to set up a rematch of the 2022 championship between Lamar and Simpson Academy.

Lamar’s smaller dogs got off to a hot start against a taller Simpson squad by taking the first set 25-16 after jumping out to a 20-9 lead. Simpson bit right back by taking nine of the first ten points in the second set before holding on to win the set 25-22.

“The whole game, I just knew we were capable of doing it,” Lamar’s Bailey Brooke Mayatt said. “I think we played good, really good. I mean, I still think we could’ve not lost that set, but overall we did good. … I think it was our errors that caused the most points.”

With the teams tied 1-1, it seemed like all the momentum in the match would swing to the squad that came out victorious in the third set. Simpson pushed Lamar to the brink by tying the third set at 25-25, but the Raiders held on to win the set 27-25.

“I think Simpson played so awesome, and I really do hope they know that because they scrapped out, and I think they should be very proud of themselves,” Lamar’s Caroline Fruge said. “I definitely think they improved, but we did too. I think all-around we’re both more competitive in general, so together it was just a great game.”

Lamar kept both feet on the gas by earning a 5-0 lead to open the fourth set. Simpson was able to even the score a bit by surviving multiple match points, but Lamar won the fourth and final set 25-18.

“We always get to the championship, and we’re a little worked up, so everything is a little crazy at first, but we always get back into a rhythm, so it felt good, and I think we played very good,” Fruge said.

A.E. Wood’s lights are brighter than Lamar’s home gym, and the domed ceiling is much higher, but the Raiders have had a lot of success in the coliseum over their past two postseason runs. Mayatt said there were some nerves to go with the loud crowd and the higher ceiling, but the Raiders eventually adjusted.

“I really feel like this group is so special that I was willing to go through the mud with them when it got tough, and I think they were willing to go through the mud with me when it got tough, and it just speaks so much to what our culture is at Lamar and how our administration really allows that type of culture. I can’t express how special this group really is,” Schimelpfening said.

This was the third match Lamar took over Simpson this season after the Raiders won the two regular season matchups 3-1, 3-0. Schimelpfening said Simpson gave Lamar more trouble at the net this season than last because the Cougars’ 2023 roster has more size.

“This year we’re just so much smaller than we were last year, and they’re so much bigger than they were last year,” Schimelpfening said. “Their block is a tough one to break through, but we’ve trained it, and I thought that we did an excellent job this time breaking through that big block of theirs. I think that’s really the only difference. Our skill level continues to get better and better and better, so we’re always going to out-skill and out-hustle our opponents, but it does become tough when you’re a smaller dog to beat big blocks.”

Fruge has played a major role in both of Lamar’s championship runs, and she already has her eyes on a three-peat in the 2024 season. She said the Raiders need to carry over their mentality and work ethic into next season for the three-peat to become a reality.

“We’re definitely going to be working because we’re not about to get complacent,” Fruge said. “We want the three-peat. We know that we’re not technically the underdogs anymore, so we still have to keep up and hold our own.”

This year’s team features two players who made the MAIS Futures roster in Fruge and Rylee Schimelpfening, as well as two who made the MAIS All-Stars roster in Mallory Smith and Mae Nettles. Next year’s squad will have to face the season without seniors Smith, Nettles, Ashby Woods and Josie Wiggins.

Rylee Schimelpfening said the Raiders will need to touch a volleyball every day in the offseason and do everything they can to improve if they want to win a third championship next season.

“It feels really good, especially because this program is so new,” Rylee Schimelpfening said. “We started with nothing, and now we have two back-to-back state championships.”