What is wrong with this picture 📸 ??? Kara Lawson and her recent trek to Germany 🇩🇪 produced six straight wins 🏆and a fifth straight Championship for the United States 🇺🇸 but yet….

Sure, part of why I admire Kara Lawson is because she happens to be our coach at Duke University, and we have season tickets 🎟 to their games. Side note 📝, a person can purchase two season tickets to those games for roughly the same amount of money 💰 that it costs to get 1 ticket for a Men’s game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. But that’s a different kind of story.

Not only did the Ladies version of Coach K get the job done in Berlin, but she did so with one hand tied behind her back.

Aja Wilson is the best player on the planet right now, and she wasn’t able to accompany the team due to wear and tear.

Then you need to add that my personal favorite female hoopster of All-Time, Kelsey Plum, also had to be replaced on the roster due to trying to play through a calf injury. See, Plum respects the game so much that she came back too soon for Phoenix after being traded there despite the fact that the team had been eliminated from the post-season already.

Plum was leading the WNBA in scoring in June while still with the Los Angeles Sparks. Who took the top spot when Plum went down ? Yeah, Miss Wilson !

Coach took her team, make that our team, and represented our country with style and grace. But that didn’t prevent folks from unloading on her every step of the way.

My question is, why ???? The answer is that coverage like this comes from people who want to look smart and make a name for themselves at the expense of others. It is sad, just sad 😔.

This is one of many reasons why I don’t attach my name to ANYTHING that I create. I am not looking to get rich or be what they call an ” influencer.” Just out here pedaling the thought of kindness and equality.

While this photo 📸 has zip to do with this story or my affection for Women’s Basketball, it still makes me smile 😃

Thank you, Kara, and get better soon to the dynamic duo that had to stay here in the States.

The remaining question is if Kara Lawson is my favorite Women’s Basketball coach, who else makes that list ???

Kris Richardson edges out that guy from UConn, and being that, he will send me his Motovational Nugget for the Day shortly, Howard Mayo sneaks in at #4, just ahead of Pierre Curtis down at Furman University.

Vickey Ritchie is in an entirely different category because she coaches both men and women !

Our MVP !

Earlier today, our very own Kayla Nester made it RAIN money 💰 !!!

Any day that we hear from Mrs Kayla Nester is a good day ! But today was a different message about the Middle School 🏫 Volleyball team.

Floyd County, Radford, and Patrick County are all somewhat neighboring Three Rivers District schools 🏫. Each one has yet to visit The Hill, and when they do, they will be bringing their middle school teams with them !

There’s a line in the Jimmy Buffett song 🎵, written by Mac called ” It’s My Job ” that goes like this – ” In my contract there’s a clause “…

   See, by adding three more games to announce, it kicks in an additional $2.7 million dollars 💸💵💲!!!

Yeah, no, not really, but it does create three more opportunities to build a frame around a group of future Cavalier Volleyball players and coaches !

So, instead of arriving at 5:30 for the start of the Junior Varsity match, we will get started at 4:30 with the MS match with the Lady Buffaloes 🐃 to be !!!

Don’t forget that Thursday night is Siblings Night !!!

Here, Kitty 😺, Kitty 😺 ! It’s time for Lady Cavalier Volleyball 🏐 here in Bassett ! Running coverage for the Night 🌙

112 mile loop from The Hill and on a weekday, so it’s very understandable that it will be a small gathering on the visitors’ side.

The cost of admission is / was $8.00 per so the average cost per couple , roughly $40.00-$50.00 (depending on the size of your vehicle) for gas ⛽️ and getting in. The goal tonight is to try and capture as much of the ambiance as possible for the folks back on The Hill.

The colors in the gymnasium are bright and well thought out.

Carroll County JV leads 15-11 in the opening set. The Varsity players are actively cheering on the younger players !

TO Bassett, Lady Cavaliers leading 18-12.

Here for the night 🌙 so please check back !

Carroll County TO lead down to 21-19

5 :54 – Lady Cavaliers win 🏆 25-19 !!!

It’s not the best angle or distance, but this is an impressive young man who is cheering for 25 !!!!

Cavs lead 12 -9 in the second set….

Carroll County TO, tied 12 – 12

It’s great to have line judges 👨‍⚖️ for the first match !

CCHS up 17-15

Time out, Bassett, Cavs lead 20-15

6:17 –

Lady Cavs closed the match on an 8-1 run, and we had VOLUME !!!!

20:00 on the clock ⏰️, waiting for the Coaches & Captains to meet before we start the countdown……

Game Time !!!

Down 11-6, 12-8

CC TO, down 17-14…[7:06]

Bengals TO, tied at 20

Up, 22-20, now 22-23,

TO CCHS

Bassett closes on a 5-0 run, take 1st set, 25-22 [7:18]

SET #2 –

TO CCHS, down 8-4….

Down 15 – 11, TO Cavs

12-17, 17-17, now at Bengals call a TO

Lady Cavs, 25 -21, after 14-6 close out!!

Raylee Goins serves us to a 6-1 lead in 3rd set.

Up 10-3, 10-5

Up 13 – 6, Bengals TO

Up, 20-7

Win 🏆 25 – 14

[8:04 pm ]

Set #4 – up, 5-1 – now, 7-6, 11-10

Bengals TO, Cavs leading 17 – 12.

18-16…

Cavs, TO at 19 -19 [8:23]

Bengals TO, we lead 22-20

Alyssa Lawson with the Kill

Raylee Goins with a Monster 👻 BLOCK

25 – 20 !!!!! 8:27 pm

Safely back in Laurel Fork and took a quick look at how things went for Ferrum College down in North Carolina.

It would appear that the Lady Panthers put up a good fight, start to finish, but came up just short in each of the three sets.

Goldilocks and the 4 volleyball 🏐 matches on a Tuesday evening… Just a thought or two ahead of the night 🌙

Volleyball 🏐 x 4
Callie Harris and Ferrum College take to the road down in the mountains ⛰️ of North Carolina.
Both our Junior Varsity and Varsity Head across Lovers Leap to tangle with the Bengals !
Luray Middle School will cross the mountain ⛰️ range to the East on their way to Madison County for their match at William H Westel Middle School 🏫

One thing in life that you can not fake is caring about others. Each of these four matches matter here, and there are completely different reasons why they do.

The MS match at Madison County involves two of our nine grandchildren, and that degree of caring should be self explained. The team plays on the same nights 🌙 that Carroll County High School does, so if we aren’t playing on The Hill, the option is to head North.

Eight hours in a car 🚗 today would be a serious reach, being that Lin has an appointment this morning.

Too far replaces too hard.

Why does one care about Ferrum College at Lees Mcrae ?

Easy one there, for me anyway.

Marion Harris was one of the first people, six years ago, who tried to welcome me to the area. You remember things like that and pay it forward !

All 5’2 “of Half Pint Harris will make the trip south of the border today, and they will remain to the south for the rest of the week ( next 3 matches ). This will create a boat 🚢 load of challenges for her parents.

This is just a cool add-on to this story. While I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Mr Jones, I’m a Big Fan of the young lady to his left.

This is the perfect Segway to the matches that will be played tonight over in Bassett.

Yesterday afternoon, I wrote a story about the long week that our Lady Cavaliers were facing this week. It wasn’t until after the match in Dublin last night that I realized that the lone ” off ” day of Wednesday is actually the night of Powder Puff football.

Nikki Heflin and Kelly Holderfield will coach up our 3-2 JV team tonight in a gymnasium that will include our parents and the varsity team.

Immediately following that match, our V team will look to rebound from a night where we outscored Pulaski County but fell 3-1. The energy in the building last night 🌙 certainly helped the home team, and it will be interesting to see 👀 what the folks over in Bassett bring to the table.

It’s just before noontime, and it’s time to choose. Monte Hall style, will it be Door 🚪 #1, Door 🚪#2, or Door 🚪#3/4 ????

In the grand scheme of things, I don’t over value the fact that I am in a visiting gym. It’s not the same as holding the microphone on The Hill. But when it’s your job to Care, it matters to me.

In every gym in this equation, there will be sharp young ladies who have committed their time, coaches without shoe contracts, and parents who are oh so proud of their kiddos (or grandchildren )!

At the end of the day, that’s what it should be about !