“The luck of the draw,” is one of the most over-used clichés in the sports book, but when Highlands took the floor for its first round NCHSAA Class 1A state playoff game, the Lady Highlanders realized they drew the short straw in opponent North Stanly.
“We finish with the top seed in the Little Smoky Mountain Conference and drew one of the best teams in the state that had to forfeit 11 games because they used an ineligible player,” Postell said. “Talk about the luck of the draw.”
The Lady Highlanders were eliminated 3-0 in the first round (19-25, 17-25, and 25-27).
“With a record of 26-1, they should be the top seed overall,” Postell said. “The state reported that they had been cleared to compete as they had been penalized for their actions, so we just got the unlucky draw in facing them. Luckily my girls gave it all they had and North Stanly definitely knows who Highlands volleyball is now.”
After six years at the helm of the Highlander volleyball program, Postell is stepping down with a 44-92 overall record, a record she calls abysmal viewed as a whole, but during her first three years, the Lady Highlanders won a total of 11 matches. After taking a year off, Postell returned posting records of 12-11, 8-16 and 13-13.
“The improvement is there,” she said. “And it’s huge.”
Hardware accumulated over those six years include a JV conference championship in 2019, two JV tournament championships in 2018 and 2019, plus, a varsity conference regular season championship and tournament championship in 2019. The Lady Highlanders have been to the state tournament four times, in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Her last season has been a great one, emotional and wild, according to Postell.
“These girls are just tremendous volleyball players,” she said. “The majority of them truly love the game. They play because it’s in them to be best, and beat the best. We are finishing up with Championships that we haven’t had in a long time, both JV and Varsity Conference and Tournament Champions is something to be proud of and to walk away from with heads held high.”
Looking ahead to the fall of 2020, Postell said the team is poised to be the team to beat again.
“We are going to lose some talent from this senior class, but we have some great talent coming back and coming up to join their ranks next year,” she said.
Now that her son is in high school she wants to spend that time being a mom.
“I had always planned on coaching until J.J. went to high school,” Postell said. “After last season, and how the girls knew we did not accomplish what we could have, or should have, I talked with J.J. and my family, and decided to give it another year.”
As the 2019 season got underway, Postell was still undecided about what to do in 2020. She knew, at season’s end, it was time.
“The girls know what they are doing, they understand what they have to do to get to their goals accomplished and I feel confident that the next coach will have a great team waiting on them,” she said. “It is easier to step away knowing that the program is solid, instead of knowing that you are leaving someone with the chore of rebuilding.”
Postell’s greatest thrill happened whenever the Lady Highlanders beat the Big Smoky teams, which were the teams she grew up playing against.
“Highlands is not supposed to beat those teams,” Postell said. “Watching the coaches’ reactions on the other teams really makes it memorable.”
Her greatest accomplishment would have to be watching the program go from 1-15 to 13-13 and beating big schools.
“Competing with everyone we faced,” she said.
