GOOD HOPE, Ala. — The Good Hope Lady Raiders had an amazing 2023 volleyball season. They took home the county title, an area championship and qualified for the Super Regionals in Huntsville where they swept White Plains before falling to Deshler in the second round. Junior Macey Denton talked about her first year playing on varsity and she learned a lot from this experience.
“I’m super proud of my team’s hard effort throughout the season. During the season, we put time, dedication, and effort. The team put hard work throughout every practice and game. We had to work as a team and come together. I want to give a special thanks to our coaching staff for putting time and effort into our season and making us better. I learned that nothing is easy, and you have to work to get better.
Macey feels blessed to have played with a great group of girls and learned a very important thing from them and from her coaches.
“We worked hard together, and we motivated each other to be better. Most of the girls on the team are very talented, and I learned how to be a better volleyball player by watching them play,” she said. “The coaches motivated us and pushed us to be better. I learned that you have to work hard to get rewarded for it.”
Macey played with three amazing seniors this past season and talked about that experience.
“They were all awesome in different ways. They made the team chemistry so amazing, and they would always lift you up when you’re feeling down. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Ivey Maddox is a role model that everyone looks up to, and she works hard to be the best. Emma Bailey uses her voice on the court to bring everyone together, and she hustles. Charly Johnson is the hype man that brings the team together and works hard for what she wants. What I learned from them is that you have to work hard for what you want to accomplish.”
She improved a lot throughout the season and made a lot of improvement in some areas of her game. She will continue to work on her game in the offseason and talked about the main goal for the upcoming season.
“I wasn’t confident at the beginning of the season, but towards the end, I gained confidence and played better. What I improved on the most is not being a nervous wreck and having confidence in myself and being able to make better passes and smart decisions during volleyball. I’m going to work on passing and serving,” she said. “Our main goal is to win state this year.”
Macey feels blessed to be a part of a special team last season and talked about her role models and shared some of the best advice that she’s received.
“They were basically like a family with the bond we all had together,” she said. “My role models are Ivey, Emma, and Charly. They never gave up on plays, and they played their hearts out. The best advice that someone has ever given me is to always believe in yourself, even when you make mistakes, and show encouragement towards each other.”
She learned a lot about her team last season and talked about how important it is to be a role model for the younger girls that are watching her play.
“In order to perform our best as a team, we must work together and show encouragement towards each other,” she said. “Being a good example for not only the younger kids, but the younger athletes, is very important to me, because they need to see the older girls demonstrate drive and hard work to be successful.”
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