Biggs, Ray play key roles in Lady Cyclones defense

Published 4:42 pm Friday, September 29, 2017

Like in any sport, being good at volleyball takes a lot of practice and work.

However, sometimes, it also takes some plain ole natural ability to excel at certain positions.

And according to Elizabethton head coach Leslee Bradley, seniors Mary Beth Biggs and Cassidee Ray just have a “knack” for doing their jobs for the Lady Cyclones defense.

Biggs is the main component to the Lady Cyclones back line as she lines up as the team’s libero. Biggs, who is quick to dive for a ball regardless of the fact she will be landing on a hardwood floor, has accumulated 894 digs this season, which is a school record for most digs in a single season. But that is not the only bar Biggs has set. The senior has racked up 1,899 digs during her time as a Lady Cyclone setting the record for most digs in a career for the 24-year-old Elizabethton volleyball program.

When Biggs first started playing for the Lady Cyclones, she played as a setter before she developed into a defensive specialist, a spot that she has fit into well, said Bradley.

“She really just grew to have a knack defensively,” said Bradley. “I think she grew to love that aspect of the game and just really took off. Once we put her in that position, we saw her athleticism even more.”

Playing as a libero, a player must not only be physically quick enough to react to a spike from another team but must also be mentally strong enough to know where the ball is heading in the first place, said Bradley.

“Our younger girls, several times this year, have said, ‘How does she know that is where the ball is going to be?'” said Bradley. “She just reads the game so well. She has also learned the other team’s tendencies, so well, that she knows where the ball is going before it gets there.”

Biggs said that the change to a libero from a setter took some work.

“The change was kind of surprising,” she said. “It took me a really long time to be able to read the ball and see which way it is going. To be able to develop that skill is pretty hard, and it felt great to accomplish it.”

Ray lines as the Lady Cyclones’ middle blocker where she is Elizabethton’s first line of defense against an opposing team’s attck. This season, Ray has recorded 54 blocks this season which is no small feat since a block only counts when a defensive player’s contact with the ball at the net immediately results in a point. Being a middle blocker relies a lot on a player’s timing when attempting to stop an attack, and timing is something that Ray has, said Bradley.

“Cassidee has always had the knack for the timing,” said Bradley. “She times the ball so well. She is not tall, but she has made up for that with her timing. Because it is as much about timing as is it about anything else. And Cassidee has always had extremely great timing.”

For Ray, going up for a block gives her an adrenaline rush. Which is probably a good thing, since the other team is going to be spiking a shot as hard as they can.

“When you go up, you are just so pumped,” said Ray. “You just want to stuff it in the other team’s faces. It is really exciting to get a block. But it is really hard to get the timing right.”

Not only does Ray and Biggs play a big role on defense, they also put in the work offensively. This season Ray has posted 154 kills while Biggs has recorded 48 aces.

Next week at Sullivan South, the Lady Cyclones will be heading into the conference championship as the No. 3 seed. With it being Biggs and Ray’s final season at Elizabethton, the two seniors are driven more than ever to go far into the postseason.

“Every since we have both been on varsity, we have had the dream to go to state,” said Biggs. “Our sophomore year, we accomplished going to sub-state, and that game was so intense and really fun to be in. We are striving to get there against this year.”