Thanks to the Clays, St. Edward's Volleyball Finds a Home Away From the Hilltop

 Disappointed but not dejected after two losses in Dallas to open the season last Friday, the St. Edward's volleyball team retreated into the family the program is building under head coach Jeremy Garcia, finding a home away from home at the house of sophomore MIA CLAY. 

 The Hilltoppers and traveling parents gathered at the Clay household, unwinding over a team meal provided by the gracious hosts. 

"We enjoyed hosting the team and families for a meal and fellowship. All the parents on the team pitched in to make it a great time," Sunny Clay exclaims. "Coach Garcia has created a family environment for the team, and it shows. It was a great experience getting to know each other better outside the gym. As a parent, you want to check in on all the girls and give them a mom hug." 

As the Hilltoppers made themselves at home – with assistant Richard Flores catching a nap in the backyard hammock chair, and assistant Jayden Nembhard taking selfies with Hayward Clay's collection of wooden animals – the team got the grand tour, including a look at Clay's childhood bedroom.  

"It was awesome. It was like a big family reunion with all of our teammates, parents, and coaches there to support us," LANDRY BAUGHMAN says. "We live in the same city, so I've been in Mia's room a few times before. Boy, does she have a lot of personality. She has a lot of posters of her favorite band members – she's really into K-pop – and strawberries everywhere. Her dad played for the Cowboys, so there was a lot of memorabilia that was super cool to go through." 

Clay says it was wonderful to offer her teammates a place to call home away from the Hilltop. 

"It was great because it was like two worlds colliding," MIA CLAY says. "It was nice seeing everyone so comfortable and able to unwind after a tough day. It was an excellent opportunity to reset."

Rested, St. Edward's bounced back with a four-set victory over East Central University, and more importantly, a greater bond as a team. 

"This group of parents is incredibly supportive of what we're trying to do, understanding that it takes a village for a program to be successful," Garcia says. "Their willingness to go above and beyond to be part of that village is a massive help to the program, allowing us to continue building the culture and community necessary to what we're trying to accomplish."

Happy Birthday, ADDY BADLEY

The St. Edward's volleyball team provided the decorations and cake, and ADDY BADLEY blew out more than just candles, notching 18 kills on .316 hitting in a 3-1 win over East Central University.

Badley says she's played on her birthday every year since she was nine years old, and was grateful to have finally posted a standout performance in her final collegiate season. Badley ended the weekend with a team-high 45 kills on .327 hitting. 

"I've had some bad games on my birthdays before, and I was nervous about this one, it being my last year," Badley says. "But it was the best birthday ever. My teammates made me feel special; they all gave me the win at the end of the game, saying, 'Happy Birthday, Addy.'" 

The team gathered at Baughman's place, where they sang Happy Birthday, ate chocolate cake, and danced to all of Badley's favorite songs. 

"We want to make Addy's fifth and final season of college volleyball as good an experience as possible," Garcia says. "For her to step up as she has – being the senior, the captain, and the offensive leader, in addition to playing some defensive play and the ability to move around into different roles – shows Addy has put in the time and effort, which is why she has the respect of her teammates." 

JORDAN CHAPMAN: From Young Life To New Life Coaching

Senior JORDAN CHAPMAN has always been a vocal presence from the sidelines at volleyball games, in between playing stints as a setter and, during last year's injury-riddled season, an emergency libero. 

The encouraging voice remains this season, just in a different role, after Chapman stepped away from playing to join the coaching staff as a student assistant. 

"I've always loved volleyball, I will always love it, but I reached a point midsummer where I no longer felt I was in the competitive zone needed to push the team on the court," Chapman recalls. "So, I decided to channel my love for volleyball through coaching. I've always worked to encourage my teammates and build them up as people and athletes, so that's still my primary role as a student assistant."

Chapman spent the summer working at a Young Life camp in Colorado, hiking the Rocky Mountains, and leading the ropes course. Now, she's continuing her efforts to get a Young Life group recognized on campus – expanding the work done to establish the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to a broader section of campus. 

"Young Life is something I've always been involved with growing up, and they had an opening in Colorado, so I went," Chapman says. "We have a few student-athletes and others meeting, trying to go through the process of getting recognized." 

Garcia praises Chapman's efforts for their lasting impact beyond her play on the court for St. Edward's the previous three years. 

"From the moment I got to campus, Jordan has been a staple of our program's day-to-day operation and success. My priority was to make her senior year the experience she wanted it to be; Jordan deserves that, through her loyalty, dedication, and commitment to her teammates and this program over the last three years," Garcia says. "So we worked together to find the best-case scenario for her, and I'm grateful we did so. There is no St. Ed's Volleyball without JORDAN CHAPMAN, and we're excited to see how she continues to contribute in this new role."