NewsAthleticsUpper SchoolStudent LifeService
Remembering friends
Aug 25, 2006 11:06 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Written by David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer, published 8/25/2006
Darlington seniors Alicia Wright and Michelle Picon made a series of excellent plays Thursday — the type plays that normally command attention. But on this day, all the attention was centered on two players who weren’t there.
In fact, the volleyball action seemed almost inconsequential, serving only as backdrop during an emotionally-charged afternoon at the Huffman Center. Tears and hugs took precedence over spikes and serves, as the members of the Darlington program celebrated the memory of former players Anna Kipp and Hannah Tillman, who died in a plane crash in December.
“Having the two of them missing is like having a giant hole in the middle of the court,” said Picon. “I’d give anything to have them here for one more game or one more practice. Or one more laugh together.”
During a stirring ceremony held between matches, the Darlington program retired both jerseys — Hannah’s No. 5 and Anna’s No. 13 — and spoke fondly about their former teammates and friends.
“When we lost Hannah and Anna, we lost two starters and two very good volleyball players,” said Head Coach Jim Linos. “But much more than that, we lost two members of our family.”
Hannah and Anna were expected to be among the centerpieces this season for Darlington’s talent-rich team, which is ranked No. 10 in the state.
The Lady Tigers showed some of their potential Thursday, beating Rome (23-25, 25-17 and 25-12) and Cartersville (25-20, 25-15) in a pair of non-region matches. Wright had 12 kills in the opener and eight more in the second match, while Picon had 19 assists against Rome and 11 against Cartersville. Nora Cook added four kills and nine aces versus Rome, while Caitlin Davidson had four kills, Polly Roberts had six aces and Ellie Mattingly had three kills and five aces.
But again, the scores and stats weren’t the focal point. Instead of looking at the scoreboard, the Lady Tigers fixed their gazes much higher.
“We know (Hannah and Anna) are looking down at us, and maybe laughing whenever we do something stupid,” said Picon. “They will always be with us.”
A huge crowd, which included the entire Darlington football team, cheered for the Lady Tigers, with the students chanting “You Got Served!” after each Darlington ace.
But behind the enthusiasm was reverence and sadness, as the memories of the two immensely talented and highly likeable teenagers came pouring back.
“We think of them every time we come into the gym,” said Linos. “If we make it the state championship this year, they will be right there with us.”
Though both made constant contributions, Hannah and Anna brought different elements to the team, the players said. Anna was the go-getter, the gamer. Hannah was the light-hearted jokester, the player who kept everybody loose.
“Hannah was the one who really made me first believe this program could compete for a state championship,” said Linos. “She came to me her eighth grade year and talked about how good this team could be by the time they were all seniors. She had a vision that even I didn’t have at the time, and she was dedicated to make it happen.
“Then there was Anna,” he said, breaking into a smile. “She was the one turning a cartwheel whenever things got a little too serious. She was the one that reminded all of us, ‘Hey, this is fun!”
Wright, speaking about Hannah, said: “She was more than a teammate, she was a friend. My best friend.”
Wright said Hannah was one of the area’s most underrated players: “It was a privilege to play with her … She never got the credit for what she did on the court. We all miss her deeply.”
Picon, speaking about Anna, said: “She was a constant presence on the court. When she was on, she could put it down like no one else. She was a dynamic player.”
Linos said Anna’s and Hannah’s spirits were felt on Thursday, and will be throughout the season. “They would have been right out here, fighting for a win with us today,” said Linos. “We loved them more than they ever knew.”
Darlington seniors Alicia Wright and Michelle Picon made a series of excellent plays Thursday — the type plays that normally command attention. But on this day, all the attention was centered on two players who weren’t there.
In fact, the volleyball action seemed almost inconsequential, serving only as backdrop during an emotionally-charged afternoon at the Huffman Center. Tears and hugs took precedence over spikes and serves, as the members of the Darlington program celebrated the memory of former players Anna Kipp and Hannah Tillman, who died in a plane crash in December.
“Having the two of them missing is like having a giant hole in the middle of the court,” said Picon. “I’d give anything to have them here for one more game or one more practice. Or one more laugh together.”
During a stirring ceremony held between matches, the Darlington program retired both jerseys — Hannah’s No. 5 and Anna’s No. 13 — and spoke fondly about their former teammates and friends.
“When we lost Hannah and Anna, we lost two starters and two very good volleyball players,” said Head Coach Jim Linos. “But much more than that, we lost two members of our family.”
Hannah and Anna were expected to be among the centerpieces this season for Darlington’s talent-rich team, which is ranked No. 10 in the state.
The Lady Tigers showed some of their potential Thursday, beating Rome (23-25, 25-17 and 25-12) and Cartersville (25-20, 25-15) in a pair of non-region matches. Wright had 12 kills in the opener and eight more in the second match, while Picon had 19 assists against Rome and 11 against Cartersville. Nora Cook added four kills and nine aces versus Rome, while Caitlin Davidson had four kills, Polly Roberts had six aces and Ellie Mattingly had three kills and five aces.
But again, the scores and stats weren’t the focal point. Instead of looking at the scoreboard, the Lady Tigers fixed their gazes much higher.
“We know (Hannah and Anna) are looking down at us, and maybe laughing whenever we do something stupid,” said Picon. “They will always be with us.”
A huge crowd, which included the entire Darlington football team, cheered for the Lady Tigers, with the students chanting “You Got Served!” after each Darlington ace.
But behind the enthusiasm was reverence and sadness, as the memories of the two immensely talented and highly likeable teenagers came pouring back.
“We think of them every time we come into the gym,” said Linos. “If we make it the state championship this year, they will be right there with us.”
Though both made constant contributions, Hannah and Anna brought different elements to the team, the players said. Anna was the go-getter, the gamer. Hannah was the light-hearted jokester, the player who kept everybody loose.
“Hannah was the one who really made me first believe this program could compete for a state championship,” said Linos. “She came to me her eighth grade year and talked about how good this team could be by the time they were all seniors. She had a vision that even I didn’t have at the time, and she was dedicated to make it happen.
“Then there was Anna,” he said, breaking into a smile. “She was the one turning a cartwheel whenever things got a little too serious. She was the one that reminded all of us, ‘Hey, this is fun!”
Wright, speaking about Hannah, said: “She was more than a teammate, she was a friend. My best friend.”
Wright said Hannah was one of the area’s most underrated players: “It was a privilege to play with her … She never got the credit for what she did on the court. We all miss her deeply.”
Picon, speaking about Anna, said: “She was a constant presence on the court. When she was on, she could put it down like no one else. She was a dynamic player.”
Linos said Anna’s and Hannah’s spirits were felt on Thursday, and will be throughout the season. “They would have been right out here, fighting for a win with us today,” said Linos. “We loved them more than they ever knew.”
