CALEDONIA — Heading into her seventh-grade year, Mary Beth Edmonson did what she could to secure a spot on Caledonia Middle School’s volleyball team, but her efforts came up just short, and she was instead named a manager.
The news – while crushing for someone who had already played competitive volleyball for years – helped motivate her that much more.
“All I wanted to do was play,” Edmondson said. “… That definitely pushed me to work hard throughout the summer for next tryouts. When I made the team, I never stopped working hard. I just kept going and going.”
Edmondson ended up making the middle school team in eighth grade, and has remained a mainstay for Caledonia ever since, finishing up her senior year with the Cavaliers this fall.
Her growth within the program as a player, teammate and leader was recognized by her teammates, who voted her a captain her senior year.
On Thursday morning, she took the next step in her career by signing her National Letter of Intent to play junior college volleyball at Bevill State Community College in Jasper, Alabama.
“When I tell you there isn’t one kid who’s worked her way up and worked harder to get where she is right now, it’s Mary Beth,” head coach Samantha Brooks said. “She’s brought so much energy to the team over the years. … She’s one of the most selfless players I’ve ever coached. She truly believes there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’”
Edmondson is the next in a line of Cavaliers who will continue their volleyball careers onward, a monumental class for Caledonia who helped secure the program’s first-ever state championship in 2022.
Playing at the next level was always a goal for the outside hitter, but after reaching out to numerous schools, interest from the Bears’ coaching staff drew her into the school and what it had to offer.
“It was everything that I wanted,” Edmondson said. “It checked all of the boxes. … The team seems like a family-oriented team. They do a lot of things together and I’m really excited about that.”
The growth of Caledonia volleyball in recent years has been significant, culminating in last year’s state championship, but the Cavs’ standards continue to increase. This program has no intentions of stopping, thanks to players like Edmondson, who set the foundation for success.
Her career at Caledonia came to an end in October, but the feeling and memory of her years spent with the Cavaliers will never leave her.
“I’m excited to be able to represent Caledonia and I hope that people see me as a good player because I am from Caledonia,” Edmondson said.
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