Southmoore’s LilyAnn Voden

As a junior setter for the Southmoore High School varsity volleyball team, LilyAnn Voden takes pride in creating opportunities for every teammate on the court.

“I am a setter, and I think one of the hardest things about setting is making sure that everybody knows what they’re running and making sure that everybody feels like they’re being seen,” Voden said.

That responsibility fits Voden’s view of what makes the Lady SaberCats special. For her, the program’s identity extends beyond the scoreboard and is rooted in the support players show one another through every moment of a season.

“What I love most about my team is the encouragement that comes from the sidelines and on the court and it’s not just a team we show that were also a family even with the winds and losses at the end of the day we show that we are family,” Voden said.

Voden credits teammate Addison Thompson for helping sustain that positive atmosphere.

“I think the one teammate who keeps everybody spirit up is Addison Thompson. Not only have we been friends forever, but she really does show that a good teammate matters and she’s always there to listen and to encourage you whenever you feel in doubt. She’s always there right by my side when we get in our crazy moods and decide to just start screaming and cheering as loud as we can,” Voden said.

Voden also works to improve her game daily. She considers serving a strength and dedicates extra time to developing that skill, while communication remains a key area of focus.

“I feel like my strength in a game is my servers. I really do focus a lot on my servers every day and practice. Every moment I can get I really do try to be better and one thing that I’ve really been trying to work on is just communication with not only my team, but the communication with my coaches when I’m a little bit stuck on something,” Voden said.