From freshmen stepping onto the court in high school for the first time to seniors stepping off of the court for the last time with their names etched in program history, Brianna “Bree” Adams and Ashton Blair have been constants of the Lady Viking Volleyball team for the last four years.
Blair and Adams are not only known as great players, but great people as well.
Being an all-conference selection in any sport is an impressive achievement in its own right, but being selected as a first-team all-conference honoree in all four years of your high school career is something that few people can claim they have done; but Blair and Adams will forever be able to hold that honor on their resumes.
The two standouts have been no stranger to the court since their freshman seasons, being constant contributors and starters over the years, and turning into the leaders and cornerstones of the Lady Viking Volleyball team by the time all was said and done.
Blair and Adams have set the precedent for the volleyball program at Tennessee High going forward, and have stood apart as great leaders and great human beings, something that anyone involved with the program will tell you.
The two began their careers each playing alongside their own sisters, former Lady Vikings Kira Adams and Madison Blair, something that shaped the two’s attitudes and leadership from early on.
Since their freshman years, the two have led by example, something that is contagious to the rest of the team. Head Coach Carley Keene wants the younger players on the team to take that example to heart.
“Remember how Ashton and Bree and the other seniors made you feel and then be that upperclassman,” Keene said.
Adams, the all-conference setter, sits in the record books as the second ever player in program history to record 3000 assists, and the fifth ever to record 1000 digs. Blair, the outside hitter and defensive specialist, cemented herself as the third ever player to record 1000 kills.
Blair and Adams have solidified themselves as cornerstones of the volleyball program in the last four years, and have stuck together since they both started playing the sport, being teammates at the club level as well as the high school level for the last six years.
The two developed a bond quickly, going from teammates to friends, and building camaraderie and chemistry that paid off over the years.
“Me and Ashton have been pepper partners every year of high school,” Adams said of Blair. “We know each other’s styles and she is such a good teammate. She’s very uplifting and encouraging to everybody and obviously is an amazing player, super consistent, and somebody that I’ve loved playing with the past six years.”
Blair, who recently committed to continue her volleyball career at Milligan University will undoubtedly use that mindset to stay motivated and continue to shape her career for the next four years, and would give this same advice to a young player who finds themselves in a situation like hers.
“Make sure that you go into each practice and each game with purpose. There may be days that you may not have had the best day at school or you may have other stuff going on in your life,” Blair said, “but just [make] sure you have your goals straight and just keep those in mind and don’t take anything for granted, because your four years go by really fast.”
Coach Keene has seen the potential in Blair and Adams since she was their coach at the club volleyball level when the two were around 14 years old and feels similarly proud of their careers as well.
“It’s just been really cool to see them achieve these milestones that have rarely ever been achieved by anyone,” Keene said. “It’s extra special for those two just because I have seen them grow up.”
