Chevelle Sparks, a junior middle blocker, has been named the October Athlete of the Month for the Borah Volleyball Program.

Chevelle was selected as October’s Athlete of the Month because of her energetic personality.

“Chavelle has been our energizer bunny all season,” Head Varsity Coach Ryan Kennelly said. “She has the best attitude on the team from the second half of the season. She’s the person we can look to to change the team dynamic, and all it takes is a simple dad joke from her or her just being herself. And all of a sudden we’re all up in spirits and we’re all ready to go to take the next play.”

This season, Chevelle had seven aces, 16 kills, four blocks, and three digs.

Overall, Coach Kennelly appreciates Chevelle’s sense of humor and authenticity.

“No matter the situation we’re in, I know Chev is going to see through all the stress and she’s just going to say: ‘Nope, we just need to go do this, and we can do it because we’ve tried it before or practiced it,’” Coach Kennelly said. “She’s authentic, she knows who her true self is, and she doesn’t let situations impact her or affect that.”

In the future, Coach Kennelly and the rest of the coaching staff see great potential in Chevelle, and not only in the sports world.

“If Chev continues to follow her heart, I think she’s going to continue to be a great athlete, and probably will compete at the collegiate level in any of her sports, whether it’s in volleyball, basketball, or softball,” Coach Kennelly said. “She has a future as a stand-up comedian—it’s been well demonstrated in our practices and on our sidelines. And she has also demonstrated that she has the potential to coach due to her helping out during our summer camps. ‘Coach TC.’”

All in all, Chevelle Sparks was a bright light on the team who always made everything so much fun.

“She was a great asset to have on our team this season,” Coach Kennelly said.

Chevelle’s teammates also have positive things to say about Chevelle. Junior setter Hayley Pyrah said: “I really appreciated that she was also positive and willing to work hard day in and out!”

Junior defensive specialist Camille Theodor said: “I appreciate Chevelle’s positive energy and attitude that she gives on and off the court. I know it must have been hard for her considering she was the only one lifting us up when we were down. I also love the way Chevelle always makes an effort to talk to everyone in the program. I feel like she is a big reason the program is so close together.”

Junior right side/outside hitter Jordyn Lowe said: “I appreciated Chevelle’s never-ending positivity! She always managed to bring a smile to my face and bring the team up when we were down!”

Chevelle started playing volleyball, along with other sports, in the third grade. Her favorite hype song on game day is “Come With Me Now” by Kongos, and her favorite thing about being a Borah Lion is the community and getting to meet new people and making new friends. Her perfect day involves playing in some type of tournament because she loves playing sports.

After high school, Chevelle hopes to play a sport in college, whichever sport presents the opportunity—volleyball, basketball, or softball. When she grows up, she hopes to be a veterinarian or have a career that has something to do with animals.

Although the Borah volleyball season is over, you can still watch her rock the court on the Borah Lions basketball team this upcoming season. We wish her all the luck in her upcoming seasons!

Written by: Shelby Ashby, Elevate Your Athletics

Abigail Gardner, a sophomore outside hitter/defense specialist, has been named the September Athlete of the Month for the Borah Volleyball Program.

Abby has been awarded this spotlight because of her ability to rise to the occasion and perform wherever and whenever necessary.

“We chose Abby as Athlete of the Month because of her ability to step up when her team needs her the most,” Assistant Sophomore Coach Vivienne Fink said. “Abby is an incredible backrow player and an extremely aggressive hitter. She is never afraid to hit the floor and is ready to play anywhere at any time.”

Abby has had many great moments on the court this season, but one exceptional moment is during the sophomore game against Mountain View on Tuesday, September 21. She went on a six-point serving run and had three kills and seven digs to bring the team back into the game.

Along with Abby’s ability to step up and perform, Abby has also accepted every challenge her coaches have given her, including the challenge to try different positions.

“We appreciate Abby’s versatility as a volleyball player,” Coach Fink said. “We have had her try out a variety of positions this season and she has shown enthusiasm and effort throughout.”

Abby’s skills and effort this season have been recognized by the entire coaching staff of the Borah Volleyball Program. In fact, Abby has been invited to compete at the JV level for multiple games to aid the team with her passing skills.

“I’m very excited to have Abby play up and help us pass in games,” Head JV Coach Shelby Ashby said. “She has been a solid player throughout the season, and she was someone I never hesitated to ask to play up. So far, she has been a great asset to our team, and we’re happy to have her.”

Not only does Abby step up and perform, but she also works hard and shows true dedication to the Borah program.

“Abby has an amazing work ethic and we know that she is willing to put in the time to improve as a player,” Coach Fink said. “[And] Abby is another one of our multisport athletes who continues to show us her dedication to this team.”

Abby’s teammates have many great things to say about her, which only makes it easier to award Abby with Borah’s September Athlete of the Month spotlight.

Rylee Nelson said: “I appreciate her hard work, getting the team hyped for games, and helping girls out when they do something wrong.”

Kylee Riehl said: “I appreciate that she is uplifting and will encourage the team to continue in the game, even if we aren’t playing well. She is also just fun to be around.”

Joey Shea said: “I appreciate how genuine she is and that she always hypes up the team.”

Taylor Linville said: “The thing I most appreciate about Abby is probably the fact that even though I know I’ve messed up during practice or games, she is still there and being supportive saying things like ‘Good hit’ or ‘Nice try. You’ll get it next time.’ And it’s just really nice of her to try and bring people back up when they mess up.”

You can find Abby rocking it on the court during the sophomore and JV games on Tuesday, September 28 at home. Games begin at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Written by: Shelby Ashby, Elevate Your Athletics

Camille Theodor, a sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter, has been named the August Athlete of the Month for the Borah Volleyball Program.

Camille was chosen as August’s Athlete of the Month because of her positive attitude, her great leadership skills, and her exemplary sportsmanship and teamsmanship.

“Camille is someone who always has a positive attitude,” Head JV Coach Shelby Ashby said. “She encourages her teammates, cheers for her team, and always does her best to make everyone around her feel supported. She is also someone who could never be caught slacking off at practice or during games. She loves volleyball and she takes every opportunity she can to play her hardest, learn, and grow.”

Camille is a captain of the JV Borah Volleyball Team, and her teammates see her as a great example, an amazing leader, and an exceptional teammate.

“I appreciate that she is able to keep our team in light spirits during times when we get down,” junior libero/defensive specialist Lillian Nichols said. “She is also a super supportive teammate on and off the court. She takes charge when she needs to, like a good captain should.”

Coach Shelby Ashby also appreciates Camille’s amazing work ethic and leadership skills.

“Camille is an incredibly hard worker and never complains when things get tough,” Coach Shelby Ashby said. “There are times I work her pretty hard at practice, and not only does she not give up, but she tries harder and harder every repetition. She is also our team captain and is an awesome team leader. She welcomes every one of her teammates with open arms and always has wonderful things to say about each person on the team. She also knows when her teammates are getting distracted, and she helps keep the team on task and focused during practice so we can use our time wisely. She knows just how to balance being a good teammate, a good friend, and a great leader.”

Camille’s teammates also have great things to say about her. Taylor Darrow, a sophomore outside hitter, said: “I like how she is so responsible and is a great captain.”

Another teammate, Avery Stoddard, a sophomore setter, said: “I appreciate her kindness and humor. Also, she’s always so nice and never gets angry or impatient.”

And Evan Dahlquist Egbert, a sophomore middle blocker, said: “I like that she’s always supportive no matter what. We can be losing 24-2 and she’ll still encourage people to give it their best. I also like that she always gives 100 percent effort.”

In addition to Camille’s great qualities, she also has a bright future when it comes to the game of volleyball.

“Camille has a lot of potential as both a defensive specialist and an outside hitter,” Coach Shelby Ashby said. “Although we use her mostly as a DS right now, we are confident in her offensive abilities and we don’t hesitate to put her in where needed. She is a great all-around player who works hard everyday to improve, and we can see great potential for her this season and in her future.”

Camille has been playing volleyball since she was in 7th grade, but she has always played volleyball with her family throughout her life. Her favorite part about being a Borah Lion is learning how to be a leader and being surrounded by her teammates. And her perfect day is staying home or playing volleyball with her family at the park.

When preparing for game days, she works on getting her head in the game early in the day.

“I get everything ready before it is time to leave and I think about what to do during the game, like: Reminding myself of my weaknesses… remembering to take a deep breath during my serves, and (making) sure everyone is calm too,” Camille said.

After high school, Camille hopes to go to college, find out what she wants to do, get a job, and help her mom.

You can see Camille working her magic at Borah’s next home game on Tuesday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. (JV) and 6:30 p.m. (Varsity). Borah takes on Timberline for the second game of the season.

Written by: Shelby Ashby, Elevate Your Athletics