Hawaii Bound

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Next summer, while many high school athletes enjoy their time away from sports and leave the area on family vacations, Madisonville-North Hopkins High School volleyball player Sara Lloyd will be in Hawaii, but she won’t be doing much relaxing.

Lloyd recently received a letter from Elite Sports, requesting her participation in the program’s 10th Annual “King Kamehameha Volleyball Classic” from July 7-14.

When Lloyd opened the invitation she had to call her coach, Jon Parker, to confirm its validity.

“My dad brought it to my mom and my mom was like, ‘This just came for you,’” Lloyd said. “I opened it and read it. I didn’t believe it.

“I called Jon and said, ‘Are they kidding around with me or is this serious?’ because I get volleyball stuff in the mail all the time, but I didn’t really take it seriously and he said, ‘No, this is for real,’ and I said, ‘Oh, God.’ ”

Each year Elite Sports chooses 300 girls nationally between ages 15-19; Lloyd will play at the 17U level.

“We’ll either play the different age groups or teams from different states as well,” Lloyd said.

The Lady Maroon standout added her Elite Sports team has not practiced together yet, but anticipates the workouts. As the team awaits getting on the court, the girls meet at Georgetown College for various organizational meetings and to discuss their itinerary.

A college coach directs each Elite Sports team and Georgetown College coach Jeff Hulsmeyer and his staff will lead Lloyd’s team.

Although the reality has begun to set in, Lloyd still doesn’t know quite why she was selected, but said she was told she was selected for her performance during a Lexington tournament.

“Jon doesn’t really tell us when they’re looking at us because it makes us nervous, so I don’t really know what they said,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd, a junior, and her teammates endured a difficult fall season, posting an 11-19 record, but Lloyd earned recognition as a hard-working, hard-hitting server.

“I’ve worked on my serving ever since eighth grade and I’m kind of getting a harder hit every so often,” she said.

Despite an underachieving 2008 season, Lloyd said next year the Lady Maroons will have six seniors to lead the squad.

“We have a lot of seniors next year and I think each one of us is going to put a certain something towards the team and I think we’ll do a lot better,” she said.

In the mean time, Lloyd will be focusing on her involvement with Elite Sports and the Audubon Volleyball Association, which is her off-season club.

Playing with a group of girls selected from various corners of the state may intimidate some athletes, but not Lloyd.

“I like meeting all my new teammates,” she said. “I play AVA in Owensboro and I’ve made so many friends from that and I just want to meet a lot of new people and have the experience of playing in Hawaii. I think that will be pretty cool.”

Lloyd said she does know a player selected from Owensboro Catholic, but will not join the team because of the associated costs.

One familiar face will be joining Lloyd though — her mother.

“She said she has to supervise,” Lloyd said. “I think she just wants to go to Hawaii.”

Her mother’s addition may be welcomed once Lloyd boards the plane for the ride west.

“I’ve never flown either so I’m kind of scared,” she said.

Once in Hawaii, Lloyd will try to focus on the wisdom of her high school coach’s words.

“He said to just keep trying my hardest and I always do,” she said.

With the trip still several months away, Lloyd’s excitement is obvious.

“I’m just ready to bring the Hawaiian experience and what I learned from there and bring it to North and just make us even that much better,” she said.