The Grace Christian Academy junior varsity volleyball team just finished a memorable season, going 8-1 overall.

The record is especially impressive to Coach Erwin Harrell, who said of the 14 girls on the team, seven of them were sixth graders. Eight of them had never touched volleyball before.

“I’m very proud,” Harrell said. “There were girls at the first of season who didn’t know what to do. By the end of the season they were all serving and everything.”

An integral part of the JV team’s season were coaches Lindsey Duke and Kelsey Harrell, both players on the varsity Lady Cougars volleyball team. Harrell said having them coach the younger players helped both parties.

“It helped Kelsey and Lindsay understand the game more,” Harrell said. “For all practical purposes, they were the coaches. I let them coach the matches.”

Eighth grader Abigail Mills was one of the biggest leaders on the team this season according to Harrell. Mills’ big sister, Mellissa, was a senior when she helped lead the varsity team to a GISA State Championship in the 2013 season. She recently wrapped up her freshman season as a volleyball player at Gulf Coast State University at Panama City, Florida.

“She got some playing time on the varsity team,” Harrell said about Abigail. “Her leadership was big on the middle school team. Abigail was the one that stood out.”