Kentucky Sisterhood Tales, Part 4: St. Henry's Tabelings

Climbing to the top of a mountain is one thing. Staying there is another thing.   The Saint Henry Crusaders have pretty much been near the top of the Kentucky volleyball mountain ever since the first state tournament took place in 1979. The 9th Region champion has been either the Crusaders or the Notre Dame Pandas every year since the current format took shape in 2012.   That rivalry game against Notre Dame has been played on Fridays in recent years at neutral sites in front of 2000 people. It is called the Playing for a Purpose game bringing awareness to breast cancer.   The Crusaders have been the All "A" State champions seven times going an impressive 47-1 in that tournament since it began in 2009. However, the overall state tournament had been a challenge until 2021 when the Crusaders broke through knocking off Louisville powers Sacred Heart then Mercy to win the second state championship in school history. Veteran head coach Maureen Kaiser was a freshman on the other Crusader state championship team in 1981.   Recent graduate Elizabeth Tabeling had a role helping the Crusaders to that crown as a sophomore defensive specialist. Her younger sister Caroline hopes to help keep St. Henry near the top of the rugged 9th Region.   The two played at St. Henry for two years. Caroline dressed for varsity as a sophomore last fall. Elizabeth had 455 digs as a junior then 457 this past season to go with 41 aces. The two made the most of their time together.   Growing up Playing Volleyball Together   Elizabeth: Some of the most enjoyable moments throughout the years of playing our favorite sport together have been seeing the improvement of Caroline. From hitting the ball around in the garage when we were just a few years old to representing our high school team together, there isn't anyone else I'd rather do it with. Caroline has been to almost every one of my tournaments no matter how far away they might be. When I got the news from Mrs. Kaiser that Caroline was going to be pulled up to play varsity for our Tampa trip, I was beyond excited. I have learned so much as a person from Caroline. She is one of the most determined people I know. She will work for what she wants and has instilled that into me.    Caroline: Having had the opportunity to play together this past high school season, I learned more about Elizabeth's playing style. She has much more of a leadership role and is much more outgoing on the court. Along with that, I also learned that she is a vocal leader on the court and has a high volleyballI IQ.   Coach Kaiser and Staff   Elizabeth: Coach Kaiser and the staff within the St. Henry Volleyball Program pushes their student athletes to their fullest potential. For me personally, Mrs. Kaiser has forced me to step out of my comfort zone within the volleyball scene and in the real world. The coaches value life skills as much as they do volleyball skills. I have been taught through many years of St. Henry Volleyball that hard work, dedication, and passion will pay dividends in the end. For me, those three skills resulted in a state championship my sophomore season.   Caroline: With having Mrs. Kaiser as my coach, she has not only taught me how to be a better volleyball player, but a more disciplined and diligent individual. As far as on the court, she has taught me how to improve my volleyball IQ, better my ball control, and moving through the ball quicker on defense. She has also instilled confidence in me.   Playing for a Purpose Game   Elizabeth: The thought of playing in front of 2,000 people might come across as daunting to some people, but for me, I tried to not think about it. I knew there were tons of people watching the game in person and even more online, but I didn't want that thought to overwhelm my head. I try to stay locked in and focused on the game. Although both teams are out here for a win, playing for a purpose is so much more than a volleyball game. It is a fantastic fundraiser that brings the community together for an amazing cause.   Caroline: While having experienced Playing for A Purpose for two years now, I can now say that the atmosphere is truly unmatched and something that is a gift to experience. As far as actually playing in front of that many people, it is one of the most exhilarating things that I have done. Just seeing all those people wearing pink supporting one cause is truly so motivating and inspiring. The one thing for me that I always find so rewarding is getting to play in front of little girls who dream of having the opportunity to play in this game knowing just a few short years ago I was one of those girls watching my older sisters play.    Solid Defensive Specialist/Libero Play   Elizabeth: Playing a defensive role is anything but easy. It takes time and effort to develop the skills necessary to play at a high level. Although being physically though is super important, it's even more important to be mentally tough. Being a Libero for many years, I have made my fair share of mistakes. It can be easy to dwell on the past mistakes but I can assure anyone that thinking about the past will never help anyone in the future. I love the phrase, “learn from your mistakes.” I think that phrase means so much in athletics. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. Don't keep thinking about what went wrong because it won't help you in the next play.    Caroline: To become a solid defense player, it is all about serve receive and defense. In serve receive, you must create your angles quickly and angle your platform back into the court. You have to move your feet quickly behind the ball and keeping your shoulders down is going to allow the ball to meet the setter instead of straight up. As far as defense is concerned, it is all about reading the ball and staying on your feet to move quicker to the ball.    Team Chemistry on Club and High School Teams   Elizabeth: Some keys to solid team chemistry are to become friends before you become teammates. Playing a sport is so much more enjoyable when you do it with the people you love the most. Teammates are the ones who see you at your best and at your worst but don't let that discourage you! Keep pushing forward and form those relationships because they are the ones who know what you're going through.    Caroline: Team chemistry is one of the most crucial things to have in a team. You can have talent, but without the chemistry, you will not make it far. I would say talking with your teammates is a crucial step to making a team work. Especially if your team is in a losing streak, communicating with them on how to better the team is very important. Being a supportive teammate and always wanting to see the best in others is another way that team chemistry can thrive.    Winning State in 2021   Elizabeth: Winning state in 2021 was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Growing up and watching my "idols" play in high school I couldn't wait to be one of them. As a little girl I always had a dream of playing in a state championship. I knew playing in a state championship was going to require amazing teammates, talent, and hard work, but the 15 of us that season all had the same mentality: we were the team to beat. At the beginning of that season, we all had the same goal: win a state championship. Every practice we walked into was another opportunity to get better. We pushed each other day in and day out to reach our fullest potential, and it paid off. My teammates what season are some of the best people I've had the pleasure to play alongside.    Adding to St. Henry Legacy   Elizabeth: The St. Henry volleyball program has a rich tradition of amazing and talented players, and I am fortunate enough to say that I am now one of the many many players who were blessed to play as a Crusader. Playing under the guidance of Mrs. Kaiser alongside many other amazing coaches is an honor in itself. I hope one day I get the chance to come back to support this great community as a coach for the St. Henry Crusaders.   On Elizabeth   Caroline: Elizabeth has truly been one of the biggest role models of my life. When we were little, we used to always play little volleyball games to ten in our garage, and they are some of my favorite memories with her. Now having the opportunity to play with her, she was always there for me to encourage me or positively impact me.   On Continued Success for St. Henry   Caroline: While this previous year of St. Henry volleyball was a team that was very talented and had several D1 players on it, I feel that even after those players have graduated we can be successful too. I think for us remaining players, our biggest way to accomplish our goals is to be confident enough that we can fill the shoes of our graduated players. We will have to find open spots on our opponents side for our hitters to swing to. Also, communication is going to be vital for the success of this St. Henry team.    Note from Mom and Dad   As parents, one of the most enjoyable things about watching Elizabeth and Caroline grow as individuals is that they do their best in everything they do on and off the court.  Having the opportunity to see them play together has been a memory of a lifetime! - Mom and Dad (Lisa and David Tabeling)    Elizabeth Tabeling established herself quickly once she hit high school. Tabeling goes after every ball with every ounce of her body and will continue to do so at Ball State. If it is near her, Tabeling will most likely dig it up. Tabeling does a great job with first contacts leading to solid offensive rhythm. She continued to improve going against solid competition at the club and high school levels. Tabeling had 457 digs and 41 aces helping the Crusaders to another solid season at 31-9 overall with an All "A" State championship, a 34th District crown and spot in the 9th Region title game.     Tabeling will be called upon for a bigger role with the graduation of six seniors including her sister Elizabeth. Tabeling continues to better the ball each time she touches it. Tabeling finished a quiet sixth for the Crusaders this past year with 94 digs on a loaded team that finished 31-9 overall winning an All “A” State championship, a 34th District title and finished 9th Region Tournament runner-up.

Climbing to the top of a mountain is one thing. Staying there is another thing.