Sarah Tolbert hated to put away her basketball.

But once she did, there was no looking back.

The Southside senior has been instrumental in her team’s quick burst this season.

The Mavericks (8-2, 2-0) hope to extend their momentum today when they face a strong North Little Rock team on the road.

“I think what makes it so different, from the past two years, is this team is very determined and goal-oriented,” Tolbert said. “The big goals are conference and state. But we know how to set small goals, too. I think that’s very important to reach the ultimate goal.

Southside, which has yet to drop a set at home, has won five straight matches.

“We try to play every point like it’s the biggest point,” Tolbert said. “I think that’s what sets us apart.”

Though setters sometimes have a tendency to go unnoticed, such is the case when you’re surrounded by so many hitters, Southside coach Steve Haaser’s been paying attention.

“Sarah does a lot of things for us to help make us go, and we need her playing well to be successful — and she seldom disappoints,” Haaser said. “She leads the team in assists, and does a good job of getting her teammates involved.”


“I played basketball until the ninth grade,” Tolbert said. ”(But) it was very obvious I loved volleyball, and definitely that’s what I wanted to do. I was sad to leave basketball, just because I had been playing since the third grade.”

?(But) it definitely freed up my time — I could spend more time with volleyball lessons.”

Tolbert is not among the Mavericks’ top outside hitters. She’s not tall enough to play in the middle, either.

But that did little to curb her volleyball enthusiasm.

“I’m shorter, on a volleyball scale, and I can’t jump very high, so hitting was pretty much out of the question,” Tolbert said. “And, ironically, that (setter) was the first position they put me when I was 11. I had better hands than the rest of the 11-year-olds, so that’s what I stuck with.”

“Sarah Tolbert is a jewel; a great girl from a great family,” Haaser said. “She plays the game with lots of passion and enthusiasm. She has been a leader for us through her examples, and by being such a good person.”

Fort Smith Juniors Volleyball coach Travis Stephens was the first person to tab Tolbert as a setter. She’s been there ever since.


“Whenever I was 14, they (coaches) told me I was going to have to focus on defense, because you can’t be a setter without playing the back row,” Tolbert said. “I’ve done defensive lessons and setting lessons, so I could be versatile.”

“We have known Sarah from her coming to our ‘open gym’ in the eighth grade,” Haaser said. “She has been a three-year starter for us. She also has a great serve and passes well enough to be in our serve receive (rotation).”

Setters aren’t unlike sight-unseen offensive linemen. You don’t know they’re there until they miss a pass.

And Tobert doesn’t miss many.

She gracefully feeds the ball to sophomore monster hitters Hannah Hogue and Avery Fitzgerald, as well as senior standout Hannah Holland.

It’s poetry in motion.

“Sarah has improved each season because she works so hard at playing the game,” Haaser said. “Sarah is part of a strong core group of players for us that have played JO together for five to six years.”

“I know I can speak for everyone on the court — we have to earn our spot,” Tolbert said. “There’s such a big talent pool this year, which is really great, so I think it drives us to work harder. It does mean a lot to play for Southside, because Southside has such a good record, and coach Haaser is a legend.”
