New Miami fell to perennial power Russia 3-0 in a Division VII district championship game. It was the first district final appearance in school history.
Finishing the season at 17-6 — including an 8-0 record and a Miami Valley Conference White Division title — was proof of just how far New Miami volleyball has come.
“They just have the biggest hearts ever,” Vikings coach Shalei McColm said. “They do anything I ask them to do. They put it all out on the court and work ten times harder than I could expect. Even when we’re down, they’re always cheering, always fighting for each other.”
New Miami’s district final run was the culmination of years of steady growth under McColm, who took over the program in 2020 after a year as an assistant.
The Vikings developed through three-hour practices, strength sessions and early-morning workouts leading to their breakout fall.
Senior Kadie Davidson, one of the team’s emotional anchors, said the payoff was as clear as the final scoreboard.
“We were practicing almost every day over the summer from like 12 to 3,” Davidson said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Can I have my summer, please?’
“But it showed. We worked so hard, and it paid off. I’m just so proud of everyone for putting the work in.”
Davidson, a relentless competitor who McColm calls “a great athlete all around,” will graduate this spring after helping to redefine what’s possible for the Vikings.
“She’s always pushing,” McColm said. “Everything she does, she gives more than 100 percent. It’s going to be hard to lose her.”
The Vikings graduate six seniors — Davidson, Rylee Roberts, Brooklyn Sandlin, Kierra Ball, Haley Stout and Aubrey Esselborn.
Even as the team reflected on the end of a historic year, there was an unmistakable sense that the best may still be ahead.
McColm pointed to the recent introduction of youth volleyball in the One Village program, which brings the sport to New Miami’s elementary and middle school levels for the first time.
“In the past, we’d get freshmen who didn’t even know the fundamentals,” McColm said. “Now, they’re learning to pass, to serve, to understand rotations. It’s going to make such a difference down the road.”
That pipeline — paired with the culture of togetherness that carried this year’s group — could keep New Miami on the rise.
“When they’re playing together, even when they’re down, they’re always lifting each other up,” McColm said. “It’s just wonderful to see that.”
Davidson said the district final loss was bittersweet, but she hopes the next generation remembers what this team accomplished.
“Just try your best every time, even if you feel like giving up,” Davidson said. “There are always people out there cheering you on. Even if you feel alone, someone’s there wanting you to do better. That’s what New Miami volleyball is.”
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