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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hope Wright (1) returns the ball in a match against the Hoover Buccaneers on Aug. 27 at Chelsea High School.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Amaya Rudolph (7) prepares to spike the ball during a match against Helena in 2019 at Chelsea High School.
Three years ago, Hope Wright and Amaya Rudolph were scared to death.
They were the lone freshmen on the Chelsea High School volleyball team and were not sure if they belonged on the court with a bunch of girls older, bigger and stronger than them.
“I threw them out there to the wolves,” Chelsea head coach Jessica Pickett remembers fondly. “Both of them started and played a lot.”
Wright actually began her freshman season on the varsity team, while Rudolph played junior varsity before being called up during the season.
“Amaya wasn’t on varsity yet, so I was by myself and I was really, really scared,” Wright said. “I started as a freshman and was so scared. From [when Rudolph was called up], I felt like I had a partner.”
Rudolph recalls the nerves she felt as a young player as well.
“We weren’t as good as we are now,” she said. “We were flying balls out, in the net, all sorts of stuff.”
However, the nerves soon subsided, and both have put together careers worthy of the Chelsea record books. Wright and Rudolph have been part of one of the most successful runs in the history of Hornets volleyball, which includes an appearance in the 2019 state tournament.
“We worked so hard, we had great leaders on the [2019] team, and we had the potential,” Wright said.
Pair the hitting power of Wright and Rudolph with the likes of libero Victoria Schmer, out-side hitter Zoe LaBreche, setter Bailey Drew McIntyre and hitter Sarah Moore, and last fall’s squad was deep and rich with talent. Three of the four are now playing in college.
“We had really good leaders on that team,” Rudolph said.
With that firepower a grade ahead of them, Wright and Rudolph did not feel much pressure when it came to their roles. But Pickett assures that they were both extremely valuable to the team’s success.
“They have been relied on heavily since they were freshmen,” Pickett said. “I don’t think they realized their roles until this year, when it was a little bit heavier on them.”
The duo certainly felt the weight on their shoulders this fall, being tasked with leading a largely young and unproven roster.
“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Rudolph admitted. “I want to see the little ones have fun and have them take more control of the court.”
As their Chelsea careers ended in mid-October, Wright and Rudolph hoped to make the most of the time they had left. Neither plans to play in college, with Wright set to attend Alabama and Rudolph heading off to Auburn.
They spoke highly of Pickett and expressed appreciation for how she has pushed them over the years, from timid freshmen to confident seniors.
“I’m super proud of how they’ve grown,” Pickett said.
Wright and Rudolph have been named all-metro and all-county players throughout their high school careers and will likely add more accolades on their way out. They came in together and will leave together, and they would not have it any other way.
“We’re a package,” Rudolph said.
