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Independence, MO —
It’s impossible to tell who is having more fun this season, two freshman phenoms, or their Truman High School volleyball coach, Denise Craig.
Bri Savidge and Alexis Hart are two big – and very young – reasons the Patriots are off to a 9-6 overall start heading into Thursday’s match against Park Hill South.
“They bring everything to a team a coach could ask for,” Craig said, “charisma, skill, laughter, chemistry – if you could ask God to bring two great kids to a program, these would be the players you’d hope for and dream about.
“And they’re only freshman. We have them three more years.”
Savidge is a 5-foot-9 outside hitter and Hart is a 5-10 middle hitter who can dominate a match.
“When they’re seniors,” Fort Osage coach Sean Barrett said of the duo after a recent match, “it’s not going to be fair.”
Both play club ball, but Savidge also plays basketball and Hart plays basketball and runs track.
“We’re having so much fun,” Savidge said. “Coach Craig is the greatest coach I’ve ever had and one of the greatest individuals I’ve ever been around. She is so positive and she motivates us every night.
“We never want to let her down, and we care about each other and don’t want to let our teammates down. We’re more of a family than a team.”
Hart said despite their age, she and Savidge have never been made to feel like “the freshmen on the team.”
“We’re Truman High School volleyball players,” Hart said, “not freshmen Truman High School volleyball players. We’re just part of the Truman family and Coach Craig is our mother. She loves us and takes care of us and watches over us. She’s the best.”
While the Patriots are off to a surprising start, the freshmen believe this is just the start of something special.
“We’re OK now,” Hart said, “but we can get so much better. We love to work hard at volleyball. We work hard, because it’s fun, it’s not even like work.”
Savidge agrees.
“When you’re doing something you love, it’s not work,” Savidge said. “It’s just so much fun to be at one of our practices.
We know when to have fun, and we know when to get serious. Lexie and I both play club ball, but this team is different from club ball.
It’s impossible to tell who is having more fun this season, two freshman phenoms, or their Truman High School volleyball coach, Denise Craig.
Bri Savidge and Alexis Hart are two big – and very young – reasons the Patriots are off to a 9-6 overall start heading into Thursday’s match against Park Hill South.
“They bring everything to a team a coach could ask for,” Craig said, “charisma, skill, laughter, chemistry – if you could ask God to bring two great kids to a program, these would be the players you’d hope for and dream about.
“And they’re only freshman. We have them three more years.”
Savidge is a 5-foot-9 outside hitter and Hart is a 5-10 middle hitter who can dominate a match.
“When they’re seniors,” Fort Osage coach Sean Barrett said of the duo after a recent match, “it’s not going to be fair.”
Both play club ball, but Savidge also plays basketball and Hart plays basketball and runs track.
“We’re having so much fun,” Savidge said. “Coach Craig is the greatest coach I’ve ever had and one of the greatest individuals I’ve ever been around. She is so positive and she motivates us every night.
“We never want to let her down, and we care about each other and don’t want to let our teammates down. We’re more of a family than a team.”
Hart said despite their age, she and Savidge have never been made to feel like “the freshmen on the team.”
“We’re Truman High School volleyball players,” Hart said, “not freshmen Truman High School volleyball players. We’re just part of the Truman family and Coach Craig is our mother. She loves us and takes care of us and watches over us. She’s the best.”
While the Patriots are off to a surprising start, the freshmen believe this is just the start of something special.
“We’re OK now,” Hart said, “but we can get so much better. We love to work hard at volleyball. We work hard, because it’s fun, it’s not even like work.”
Savidge agrees.
“When you’re doing something you love, it’s not work,” Savidge said. “It’s just so much fun to be at one of our practices.
We know when to have fun, and we know when to get serious. Lexie and I both play club ball, but this team is different from club ball.
“We’re playing for our school, and for our students and our friends and fans. The group (of fans) who come and cheer for us every night are crazy. They make our home matches so much fun.
“When we come on the court, we want to see what they’re wearing and what kind of cheers they’re going to do. That’s just one reason why this team is so special.”
Craig sounds like a proud mother as she talks about the impact Hart and Savidge have made on her team.
“Bri told me she has never been happier in her life, and I believe her,” Craig said. “And Lexie is going to have fun, no matter what she’s doing. There could be a lot of jealousy on the team, because two freshmen have come in and played a big role on this team.
“But the other players love them as much as I do. We all might be as happy as we’ve ever been.”
