As I blog about sports and events in the Webster Groves community, I like to include our elementary and middle school age children as well.

This week, we look at a junior-level volleyball player, Grace Early, who is a seventh grader at Hixson Middle School. She invited me to her volleyball tournament, which held at St. Louis Sports Center on Saturday. Grace plays for a select club volleyball team (H2-St. Louis), which is in its first year. The none-member team is coached by Sarah Manley and Annie Goede.

H-2-St. Louis won two out of the three matches that I watched (19-5), (19-17) and (17-19). I noticed that all of the team members were very good servers. As a matter of fact, accurate serving is how they scored the majority of their points. It was a real challenge to photograph the matches, because there was a lot of action in the gym with six matches being played side-by-side, simultaneously.

I had a chance to talk with the team after the game and learned something about each player.

• Grace has been playing volleyball since the third grade, and she likes art. I asked Grace what is one thing that everyone should about know her. While she was pondering an answer, a couple of her team members said that she is a good sister to her brother Grant. 
• Hannah Johnson is a student at Crestview Middle School in Ballwin. She has been playing volleyball since third grade, and her favorite subject is math.
• Elizabeth Pepper and Audrey Lee both go to Wydown Middle School in Clayton, and their favorite subjects are math and social studies. Both girls were in their school’s play Twisted Tales of Terror.  
• Sabrina Wright goes to Zion Lutheran School in Harvester, MO. She has been playing volleyball since the fifth grade, and her favorite subject is science.
• Clare Bishop is a student at Christ Community Lutheran School in Kirkwood. She has been playing volleyball since the fifth grade and her favorite subject is physical education.
• Ally Brown is a student at Whitfield School in Creve Coeur. She has been playing volleyball since the sixth grade and her favorite subject is science.
• Olivia Rekittke attends Nipher Middle School in Kirkwood, and this is her first year playing club volleyball. 
• Hillary Hightower was not at the tournament. She attends Visitation Academy.

Even though the players on H2-St. Louis volleyball team attend different schools, each player will make a major contribution to their high schools’ volleyball teams.

If you would like to view or purchase any of the 300 photos from the game, please email me.