Saturday, January 18, 2025
SPRINGTOWN — For Libby Tedder, playing volleyball has been a passion since she was 6 years old. Inspired by her father, who was a coach, Tedder has become one of North Texas’ rising volleyball stars.
This year, Tedder was selected for the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State 4A team. Tedder has been looking forward to this and is excited to see what could come of this accomplishment.
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years,” Tedder said. “It’s exciting and feels like a huge eye-opener for what could come in the future.”
Tedder’s love for volleyball began at an early age. Her father coached her older sisters, and she often watched her sisters and would play with them.
“My dad coached at the Lions Club when I was little,” Tedder said. “I would always play around with them at practice. Eventually, my parents signed me up for a club team and I just fell in love with it.”
By the time she turned 10, Tedder took that love for the sport and turned it into serious dedication. As she kept playing and advancing, Tedder realized that volleyball could be more than just a hobby.
“It became clear this could be my future,” she said.
But as she started playing both for her school team and a competitive club team, Tedder found it difficult to find balance.
“Club volleyball is a lot faster-paced, while school volleyball is a bit slower,” Tedder said. “Adjusting to those differences has been challenging but also fun.”
This season, Tedder suffered a shoulder injury but pushed through to help her team succeed. Her passion and dedication were recognized as she was named the district MVP. Springtown High School head volleyball coach Abigail Zipoy said she is proud to see Tedder be honored.
“She battled through a lot of challenges this year,” Zipoy said. “To see her get recognized, especially as a sophomore, is incredible. It’s a testament to how hard she works.”
As for being named to the All-State team, Tedder’s training is to just keep playing.
Tedder has very specific goals when it comes to playing volleyball and her future; to improve, earn more awards and grab the attention of college recruiters. She doesn't have a specific college in mind yet but continues to work at it.
“I don’t have a specific school in mind yet, but TCU’s got a good volleyball team,” Tedder said. “But I’m working hard to get to that next level.”
Tedder practices three days a week and plays in weekend tournaments. When she’s not playing, she focuses on recovering which includes stretching and icing to prevent injuries.
For all the aspiring athletes wanting to play like Tedder, she strongly emphasizes the importance of working hard and being determined to succeed.
“Practice as much as you can, stay focused and believe in your goals,” she said. “Set big dreams for yourself and go get them.”
A favorite memory from this season for Tedder was defeating rival Decatur in an intense and hard-fought match.
“We were all excited and played together as a team that night,” she said. “It was such a fun game.”
As Tedder continues to climb her way up, she serves as an inspiration for young athletes in Springtown and beyond.
