INAUGURAL ROBERT DEAN MEMORIAL A SUCCESS

There was a blast from the past at Bearcat Gymnasium Thursday night as the inaugural Robert Dean Memorial Alumni Game was held with 20 former players taking on the current Bearcat volleyball team for three sets.

The event was established by Head Coach Bailey Stringer to honor Dean, who passed away in November. Dean launched the Bearcat volleyball program in 2007 and was the coach for a decade.

“It was more having fun than anything,” said Stringer. “I liked seeing the girls come out and show camaraderie together as a group showing respect to Coach Dean and the program but also coming to have some fun.

“Get a little rust knocked off of them. Some of them were like ‘I want to play some more.’ I said you may not tomorrow when you’re sore. I thought it was cool they weren’t afraid to dive and hustle and all that good stuff.”

There were hopes of having a representative of the first team but that would not be the case. However, the 20 “opponents” in their former home gym had played as far back as 2010, like Hannah (May) Simpson and as recently as last year, like Karmen Kent.

“We had some kids who were recent and from when I played (she is a 2015 Mena graduate). Hannah (McClung) Tackett and some of them,” said Bunch.

There were others in the audience who did not play and still others who likely would have but, like Maddy Herrera and Brittany (Ward) May, had to be at the elementary school open house to greet the students they will be teaching this year.

Also in attendance was Dean’s assistant and successor as head coach, Janice West.

There were also ties between the teams as sisters opposed one another like Kylie and Haley Lunsford, and Jacque Hall and Farrah Stringer and, in at least one instance, to be sisters-in-law in Brooklyn Zarlingo and Emily Wooldridge.

The former players put up a fight, especially in the first set when a seemingly comfortable lead was whittled to dangerously close as Aleeah Blansett led a charge for the alumni before the current Bearcats pulled out a 25-20 win.

The alumni raced to a big lead at the start of the second set but the current players regrouped and went on a long run of their own and on to a 25-18 win secured after a set by Mia Perez.

The third set was the most lopsided at 25-13 in which the current Bearcats were in control throughout.

The gym was also largely full.

“We also had a good turnout of just people in general to support the alumni and honor Coach Dean,” said Bunch.

Admission was only $1 and Bunch presented the alumni players with tickets good for admission to any regular season home match this season.

Up next for the team is the Purple-Gold game on next Thursday and the season gets underway on August 21 when Mena visits.