HILLSVILLE, Va. – Just before the start of the 2021-2022 basketball season, Carroll County’s gym had new lights installed--a bright, fresh look for what would soon be the brightest season ever for the girls basketball program.
“Everybody has been congratulating us and still talking about it and we’re just like yeah we want more of it,” said Cavaliers senior guard Kalee Easter.
The new, bright lights at home led the Lady Cavs to the bright lights inside the Seigel Center in Richmond--where they captured the programs first ever state championship.
“It was an unreal feel honestly--like it was unbelievable. Even after we won it, it didn’t feel real,” said Cavaliers junior guard Alyssa Ervin.
“We finally got it, fortunate enough to be successful and we kind of built off of that this year,” said Carroll County head coach Marc Motley. He’s in his 21st year leading the program.
With its entire starting lineup back from a year ago, including leading scorer Alyssa Ervin, the Lady Cavs are poised to make another run. They carried a 30-game win streak from last season into this year until a recent loss in a tournament in Tennessee.
“I think we’ve started off better than we did last year, pushing off so I think we’re doing good so far,” Ervin said. “I think we all work together to get points sometimes I just make layups and they get me open looks.”
The Lady Cavs state title victory was one that was years in the making. Coach Motley says the formula for success has been the same for the last decade or so with the only difference being the team possessing the ultimate will to win.
“I don’t have to spend a ton of time motivating them. They are usually ready to play when that ball goes in the air,” Motley said.
While Carroll County continues to shine bright at home thus far, they hope to have another banner shining bright at seasons end, right next to the one reflecting a magical 2021-2022 campaign.
“We all want to succeed and see what happens and I think we’ve bonded the exact same as last year,” added Ervin.
“We have to know that it’s a fresh start and come out hungry again,” Easter said.