FAIRVIEW, Ala. — Fairview volleyball player Tara Evans finished her sophomore season last year and the Lady Aggies finished runner-up in the county tournament. Tara talked about that season, what she learned, and what the experience has been like for her so far. She feels blessed to be around an amazing group of teammates.
“I feel like the season went really well. We learned how to work together. We put in a lot of work, and I’m very proud of what we accomplished. I learned how to better myself and my skills,” Evans said. “It’s been a really good experience so far. I’ve been able to grow as a person, along with my volleyball career. It’s had a real positive impact in my life. I’ve learned how to be a better person and leader. It was a really amazing experience. They were always super supportive and always gave me motivation. I’ve learned that to be successful, you have to be willing to work together.”
Tara feels blessed to play under head coach Ashley Stanley last season and learned a very important thing from her. She has seen a tremendous amount of improvement in her game from her first year on JV to now.
“Coach Stanley is amazing. She’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. She always wanted us to be at our best. She would stay late and help us work on things we needed help with. I learned that you have to put 110% effort in all things I do, on and off the court,” Evans said. “I feel like I have improved a ton. I am a lot more confident in myself and the things I’m doing. I’ve definitely improved the most on my communication and my confidence.”
Tara has some important goals for this upcoming season and she talked about what will make them special to watch next season.
“Some of my team goals consist of better team chemistry and staying positive. One of my personal goals I have for myself is maintaining a positive attitude and mindset,” she said. We had a lot of young players on our team. We worked hard all season to be the best we could be. I think we have a lot of talent. Next year, we will be able to connect and communicate better than ever.”
Watching the varsity squad has helped Tara a lot with her game, and she looks up to a few people in volleyball. She talked about the best advice that someone has ever given her.
“Watching the varsity team really helped me gain confidence in myself. I really looked up to Laci Segrest. She was always super supportive and gave me a lot of advice and encouragement,” she said. “My role models in volleyball are Laci Segrest, Asjia O’Neal, and Logan Eggleston. I love their passion about the sport, and their energy on the court. It’s truly inspiring. The best advice that someone has ever given me is don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t get somewhere or be anything you want to be.”
Tara has a lot of younger girls watching her play, and she talked about how important it is to be that role model for them. She also talked about what she learned the most about herself and the team.
“I feel like it is extremely important to be a role model for the younger girls watching. I fell in love with the sport by watching the older girls play,” she said. “I learned how to have fun and not take everything so serious. I learned that communication can really make or break a team. The more communication your team has, the better off you will be.”
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