As we end this club season, I find myself reflecting on just how much this journey means—not just to the girls on the court, but to all of us who have been alongside them every step of the way. When our daughters lace up their shoes and step onto the court, most people see a volleyball player. What they don’t see are the years of commitment that brought them here. They don’t see the parents who spent countless hours in the car driving to practices, lessons, and tournaments. They don’t see the sacrifices made, the schedules rearranged, the family vacations planned around volleyball calendars, or the quiet moments spent encouraging a daughter after a tough loss or celebrating with her after a hard-earned win. This season has been about so much more than volleyball.
It’s been about watching our daughters grow into young women. We’ve watched them learn how to persevere when things don’t go their way. We’ve watched them face challenges, overcome adversity, and discover strengths they didn’t know they had. We’ve seen them learn how to trust each other, lean on each other, and celebrate each other’s successes. Some of the most important moments this season won’t show up on a stat sheet. They’ll be found in the friendships formed between teammates. The laughter in hotel hallways. The team dinners. The conversations during long road trips. The hugs after difficult matches. The moments when one player picked up another when she needed it most. These are the memories they’ll carry with them long after the season ends.
To our players, thank you for allowing us to be part of this journey. You have given us so many reasons to be proud. Not because of wins or rankings, but because of the character, determination, and heart you’ve shown every single day. You have represented your families, your teammates, and your club with pride, and you’ve reminded us all what it means to compete with passion and purpose.
To our coaches, thank you for believing in these athletes, challenging them, and helping them grow. The lessons you teach extend far beyond volleyball. Years from now, they may not remember every score, but they will remember the confidence you helped build and the belief you instilled in them.
And to the parents sitting beside me, thank you. Thank you for the early mornings, the late nights, the endless support, and for sharing this journey together. No one understands the emotions of being a sports parent quite like the people in this room. We celebrate together, stress together, cheer together, and sometimes hurt together. The friendships we’ve built as families are just as meaningful as the ones our daughters have built on the court.
The truth is, these seasons go by faster than we think. One day we’ll look back and realize that what mattered most wasn’t the trophies or the medals. It was the time together. The memories made. The lessons learned. The people we met along the way.
As we close this club season, some of our daughters will move on to new teams, new seasons, and new chapters in life. But they’ll always carry a piece of this team with them. They’ll remember the friendships, the lessons, and the feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves.
So while it’s difficult to say goodbye to this club season, let’s be grateful for every moment it gave us. What a gift it has been to watch these girls compete, grow, laugh, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank you, Rise Volleyball Club 17-1, for an unforgettable season. Together We Rise.-Jamie Leggett
A season to remember! Rise 17s placed 3rd at AAU Nationals!! Such an incredible way to cap off an unforgettable season. We’re incredibly proud of what they accomplished together. Evalynn was named an AAU All-American! We are so grateful for this recognition and for the coaches and teammates who have poured into her along the way and helped shape her development.
We are truly thankful for God’s guidance and the people He has placed in Evalynn’s life through volleyball. Rise Volleyball Club continues to bless us in ways we never expected, and Coach Victoria Borsatto is a big part of that. She believed in Evalynn, challenged her to grow into a more complete player, and played a big part in her development this season. I have no doubt that when we look back on her volleyball career, Coach Tori will be remembered as one of the people who helped shape it.-Kathy Mitchell
Neely Holt played one year of Rise Volleyball and it was one of the most amazing experiences of her life (and her parents' life too!!!).
In our opinion, Nikki Dieball is an outstanding coach, but more importantly she is a great role model for our daughter to be around! She was tough when she had to be, loving when she needed to be and classy all the time! Nikki's knowledge of volleyball is off the charts and Neely learned so much from her about the game of volleyball.
Neely loved volleyball before she came to Rise in the fall of 2016, but she grew to REALLY LOVE volleyball during that season with Rise and it was due to Nikki Dieball, the other Rise coaches she learned from and her outstanding teammates and their families. We have all gained friends for life after spending that season traveling around and enjoying the sport of volleyball and each other.
Neely got smarter and better as a player, she learned to never give up and to be a good teammate. We saw this transfer into her senior season at Stillwater High. Neely was injured but Rise never gave up on our daughter through tough times and we'll never forget that as parents. Finally, thanks to Nikki Dieball and this outstanding organization for helping young women blossom as athletes and women!!
-Tony and Melissa Hunt
As I look back at the decade that our family participated in club volleyball, I can honestly and unequivocally say that our RISE years were by far the best! You simply won’t find a better club to entrust your daughter to then RISE.
-Sara Ray
RISE Volleyball Club supports and trains the whole player. They care just as much about integrity, honesty, and relationships as they do serving, passing, setting, and hitting. My daughter had just as much fun at practice as she did at tournaments because of the family atmosphere. I recorded lots of film for coaches through the years for different clubs. The RISE footage is filled with smiles, celebrations, and words of encouragement even if a play did not go as planned. It is the RISE culture that taught my daughter teamwork, leadership, confidence, and the JOY of playing volleyball!
-Karen Thurston
I have had a lot of tough, hard coaches in my life. People that told me not only how to play but the exact move to make. RISE gave me the chance to grow and make my own decisions. They showed me that everything I need to be great was inside me. The amazing coaching gave me the freedom and the confidence to learn what kind of a player I was. RISE coaches are tough on players, but they choose to be NOT because they think they have to be to get results. RISE wants players to be their best selves NOT just the best players. They care about the kid and not just the game.
-Katie (Ray) Wood (Rise Alum)
Rise was hands down the most memorable time of my volleyball career. As a member of the first-ever Rise team, the club holds a very special place in my heart. Not only was I able to advance my athletic career, but I also gained friendships that will last a lifetime. We still talk often in the "Rise OG's" GroupMe. Nikki and Kristen emphasized discipline, hard work, good moral character, teamwork, and a winning mentality. My volleyball career is over, but the values I gained playing for Rise will follow me forever.
-Avery Slavin (Rise Alum)
Playing for RISE was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’m 23, I haven’t played volleyball since my last year with Nikki and I still go back to help with tryouts and keep up with my team. We were a family in every sense of the word. I was challenged in my faith and in the game during my time there; I'm so thankful for my time at RISE.
- Kylee Wright (Rise Alum)
I was blessed with the opportunity to play for the first RISE team ever! Our season was full of more ups and downs than you can imagine… but at the end of the day I would have done anything for my team. Nikki Dieball and Kristen Coventon were my coaches that year and lets just say they will forever hold a special place in my heart. They were more than just volleyball coaches, they were two women who invested in me as a player and a person. They pushed me to be better in so many ways and taught me that the game was bigger than winning. They became like family and that only made playing for them that much easier. When you love what you are a part of, it is easy to work hard because you know that those around you are counting on you and you can’t imagine letting them down.
RISE is a club that cultivates an environment of hard work, teamwork, and fun. You are expected to give 110% not just for your own glory, but for the success of the team as a whole. It is engrained in you from the beginning of the season that when that final whistle blows, you better have left it all out there on the court. You are taught to support your teammates - whether they are at the top of their game or not. And at the end of the day, when the games have ended, there is always room for fun! Even off the court, I felt so loved by my coaches and teammates because we spent time having fun and doing things outside of the game of volleyball.
I had no idea what saying yes to playing for RISE would mean for me that day after tryouts, but I am so glad I did! RISE is a family and I could not be more proud to be a part of this legacy.
- Payton Bullard, #17 (RISE Alum)
Playing at Rise has become one of the most memorable experiences of my volleyball career. The coaching staff, players, and community are unlike any other club I’ve been apart of. From my first practice at Rise, I could tell the club valued important qualities in the characters of players that are oftentimes overlooked. The Rise community strives to bring a special piece of the game back: Integrity. My team constantly encouraged me to be better, and my coaches reminded me that hard work is the heart and soul of the game. Rise works to build players and young women up. I had the opportunity to train my mentality. I was lifted up and I felt my confidence heighten. Rise reminded me of the love I have for the game.
-Amanda Mercer