A Word From Coach Lester

PASSION

Passion is a word that can be used in so many contexts. It is one that defined means: any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, or a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. Synonyms of Passion are: fervor, zeal, and ardor.
Our two seniors this year have exemplified the word Passion in their career here at Saint Mary’s. Whether it was a passion for success in the classroom, or a passion to compete at the highest levels on the volleyball court, Lexi and Kaylee have been tremendous examples for their teammates and peers.
These two individuals have been fixtures in the Cardinal program for four years. They have grown into tremendous leaders, fantastic teammates, and wonderful women. Over their careers they have worked so hard for everything they have achieved. Both have improved so much over their time here, not necessarily through coaching, but through their own work ethic and drive to become great. They leave the Saint Mary’s Volleyball program in a great place! During their time here they qualified for MIAC playoffs twice, and had an overall record of 74-45.

KAYLEE has been a relative constant in the middle for SMU volleyball for her four years. She is a quiet leader on the court, one who is respected by her teammates for her demeanor and work ethic. She has quietly established herself as one of the more successful middles in SMU history. She has nearly 500 kills and has played in more than 400 sets in her career. She currently ranks in the top 10 in total sets played, which, is a tribute to her resilience and consistency match in and match out. I can remember the parent of a former teammate of hers from “The Mighty Ducks” during her last year of club season saying: “She is going to frustrate the heck out of some of those MIAC middles next year.” Kaylee is and always has been the player on our team who would recognize when things were getting stressful in practice or a match. She always had the ability to lighten the mood and get everyone to relax. Who can forget her taking down the net at Carleton??

LEXI is our motivational leader. Her fierce competitiveness not only pushes teammates, but her coaches as well. For her entire career she has challenged us all to be better at what we do. Lexi is one that ALWAYS puts the team first. She is one who realizes what roles mean and does everything she can to fulfill her role, whether it was as a starting setter her last three years or filling in as a back-up her first year. Lexi has become one of the most accomplished players here at SMU. She reached the 1,000 assist plateau for the second time in her career earlier this year, is #2 all-time in total assists, is in the top 10 for serve percentage, and is # 1 in total kills and blocks for a setter in her career. I can’t thank Lexi enough for our shared conversations. She has always had her finger on the pulse of our program. She has an uncanny ability to sense when things were going well or when things needed to be changed or addressed. She was not afraid to share her thoughts with our staff, and always did it in a respectful way that was extremely beneficial to our team. Thank you …

These two young women have meant so much to this program. Their dedication to a sport they love makes them wonderful mentors for their teammates. Their commitment to their academics makes them fantastic representatives of our program. I, as their coach, look up to them everyday for the way they, not only, balance everything in their lives, but the level at which they succeed in all of their endeavors.

Kaylee and Lexi, thank you so much for everything you have done in the past four years. You have left your mark on our program and on Saint Mary’s University!