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The student news site of St. Teresa's Academy

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Softball seniors face struggles

Softball+seniors+face+struggles
story by Cassie Florido, photos by Rosie Hutchison

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As a new softball season is underway, the team is facing adversity within the senior class. Two of the starting seniors, Rachel Tovar and Anna Woolery, have been sidelined due to injuries. This leaves the lone senior, Shaeffer Smith, available to lead the team on the field. Several of the remaining players’ roles are altered now within the team due to the loss of the two senior leaders.

Woolery is unable to compete for the remainder of the season after tearing her labrum, cartilage in the shoulder, while diving for a softball during the summer. Woolery underwent surgery before school began and is currently in the process of healing. She now takes on the role of being a leader in the dugout instead of on the field.

“I’m not going to be a leader on the field anymore,” Woolery said. “But as far as in the dugout, [I’m] keeping the girls focused or pointing out ways to become more efficient or better.”

In the beginning of the season, Tovar suffered a shoulder injury, straining the teres major and minor muscles, the latissimus dorsi and muscles located in her torso. While Woolery is unable to return to the field for her senior season, Tovar is holding on to the hope of returning to the field later in the season. Tovar is currently going through physical therapy in order to repair the muscles and return to the field.

Even though the team is competing without two veteran players on the field, it has not stopped the team from moving forward with their season.

“It’s tough to lose girls like that, especially ones that have been around for a long time,” softball coach Ty Abney said.

According to Abney, even though Tovar and Woolery are injured, the two girls have taken on different roles within the team by going out during practice and helping their fellow teammates during drills.

Due to the injuries suffered by her teammates, Smith has to accept more leadership responsibilities now that she is the lone senior available to participate in games.

“It’s really hard on me not having two of my best friends play with us,” Smith said. “But [Tovar and Woolery] are there all the time. Other than them not being on the field, it’s still the same thing.”

According to Smith, many sophomores and juniors have stepped up their leadership now that Tovar and Woolery are sidelined. Junior Grace Bullington is one of the juniors that has helped the team transition and fill the void of the injured seniors.

Bullington, replacing Woolery at shortstop, says that due to the injuries occurring early in the season, the team had time to adjust to losing players on the field.

“[The team] has to expect more out of the freshmen and underclassmen have to step up and play,” Bullington said.

“[Varisty] is playing two freshmen all the time now, and they are [playing] awesome,” Abney said.

The team has not been disrupted due to the lack of seniors. The varsity team has already won nine games this season. Last season, the team only won seven games.

Woolery says that the team still has high hopes of winning Districts for the first time in STA softball history.

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