Suns taking history, community support with them to state volleyball tourney

BOWEN, Ill. — The custodians earned their pay Wednesday.

Before leaving for Normal to continue preparations for the Class 1A state tournament, the Southeastern volleyball players were treated to a district-wide celebration and sendoff. It started with a morning assembly at the elementary school in Bowen.

The students lined the gym to give the Suns high-fives, and they showered them with confetti and glitter as they passed by.

“It was a disaster,” Southeastern coach Tim Kerr said with a chuckle. “I’m sure our custodians were fit to be tied, but it was pretty cool. The girls loved the attention.”

The history lesson that followed mattered more.

Wednesday afternoon, the Suns were treated to an appearance from Mike Fray and Michaela Fray, the father-daughter combo who played a significant role in the Southeastern volleyball legacy. Mike Fray was the co-head coach in 1981 when the Suns made their first state tournament appearance and finished third in Class A, while Michaela Fray was an all-state outside hitter in 2001 when the Suns took fourth at the state tourney.

The memories they shared of those state tournament runs resonated, as did the video Michaela Fray put together. It included highlights and comments from several players from both the 1981 and 2001 teams.

Kerr was the coach in 2001 — his fifth season at the helm at the time — and seeing his former players embrace and celebrate what the program is doing 20 years later struck a nerve.

“I sat and bawled through the whole thing,” said Kerr, whose team will face Springfield Lutheran at 10:10 a.m. Friday at Redbird Arena in the state semifinals. “The video was awesome. I couldn’t believe it.”

The legacy is unbelievable.

This will be the fifth team in Southeastern history to bring home a state trophy and the third time the volleyball program has done it. It’s a testament to Kerr’s commitment as head coach and the program he’s built. Now in his 25th season, he has compiled a 629-249-1 record.

Kerr will be mentioned with the likes of Mike Fray, Dave Swisegood and a handful of other successful small-school coaches for the influence and impact he’s had in this community.

And this team will have its own place of honor.

Walking through the school Wednesday morning, Kerr passed team photos of Southeastern’s state tournament squads and realized they will have to make room for one more. Later in the day, Mike Fray made mention of the state tournament trophies on display in the school lobby and how another is about to be added.

“Those type of things are just cool,” Kerr said.

So will the experience of playing in Redbird Arena with an entire community excited to see what might happen.

“Everyone who talked at our assembly was just so darn greedy,” Kerr said. “First, we want to win a regional. Then we want to win one sectional game. Then let’s win the whole thing. Then let’s win the super-sectional. Then it’s let’s win first place. That’s the right type of thing to say at those events, but man, that’s a challenge.

“We’re super, super happy where we are and we’re going to give it our best shot.”