Hartem's seventh grade volleyball phenom Lily Barry sets sight on USA Junior Olympic International Team

[March 20, 2018] 

It's worth highlighting the outstanding play of Lily Barry during the IESA 7th and 8th Grade Class 1A Volleyball State Tournaments over the past couple of weekends. Barry caused a lot of stir and it wasn't in whispers.

Barry's volleyball talent is off the charts for a seventh grade athlete.

On the court proudly wearing the orange and black Stag uniform, Barry is surrounded by amazingly gifted teammates who allow her to elevate her game. At any given time each and every athlete on the court is giving 110 percent. It's a great thing to witness the hard work of these young female athletes.

But Barry is in a league all her own. The force with which she hits the volleyball is unmatched by any player in the area in her age group. You have to see it to believe it. Her vertical hovers around a crazy 30 inches and that is also phenomenal. Her volleyball IQ combined with her extremely hard work ethic put her above the rest. There is no denying that. She is a homegrown Logan County product and one to keep an eye on.

When she soars high above the net and slams the ball into the opposing floor past the flying and sometimes frightened defense, everyone is on the edge of their seats.

Hartem fans have begun to chant "USA" every time she annihilates the ball.

Even fans from opposing teams have their cell phones out to take video of Barry.

At the 7th Grade IESA Class 1A State Tournament hosted by Decatur LSA even folks representing the school helping with the tournament were videoing Barry and saying, "Have you seen this girl hit? She is incredible. Just wow!"

Barry tallied 32 kills in the three games of the 7th Grade IESA Class 1A State Tournament in Decatur. The Stags won the state title over Grayville with Barry leading the way with 12 kills.

Then this past weekend at Central A & M in Assumption she outdid herself as the Stags claimed a seventh consecutive 8th Grade IESA Class 1A State Championship. Barry notched 59 kills over the course of three games. Her 27 kills in the championship match with Grayville could have been a record but IESA does not keep track of kills, only points scored. Those 27 kills by Barry were accomplished in just two sets. Even more impressive. Again, just wow!

But following the game Saturday night Barry initiated something that most folks did not know. After the championship game with Grayville, one of the Grayville players told Barry that their coaches (twin sisters Tricia Myers and Kim Milligan) were retiring after the game. Barry immediately ran over to Jennifer Hayes and asked if they could give the coaches one of their first place medals. Coach Hayes gladly said yes, so they did. As one Stag fan put it, “That’s her sportsmanship coming thru at full force. That’s who Lily Barry is and what she stands for. Her straight face on the floor may not show it, but that’s the true Lily Barry.”

So what does Hartem Coach Jennifer Hayes say about Lily Barry?

“What does a coach say about Lily Barry? She’s like a stick of dynamite,” said Coach Hayes. Little…highly dangerous…add a little spark and she’s EXPLOSIVE! Since I have had Lily in my gym as a first grade manager, she’s been nothing but passionate. She can never get enough of it. There is never a stop button in her. It’s all out all the time. My biggest challenge is pulling in the reigns when I need to. Other than that I just let her do her thing and see how far she’ll rise to the occasion. I haven’t found her ceiling yet.”

This girl really has no limits. It’s repetitive but her volleyball ability is off the charts AND she is 13 years old.

Now when you hear what this local Stag has been up to recently, another “wow” is going to cross your mind.

In her own words, Barry confirmed, "This winter I went to Colorado and played with the Junior Olympic team. I will go back to Colorado and if I make it, then I will try out with the International Olympic team."

Barry tried out for the Junior Olympic team last summer in Colorado Springs and made it. She played in the summer with the team, she said. She then went back this winter to Colorado Springs to try out again. "I made the next cut and went and played again in the winter," Barry explained.

She spent five days, she said, playing volleyball in Colorado Springs with 49 other top volleyball players from around the country. "We just played girls from all over the United States," she said, further explaining that all the girls were just divided up into teams for the 5-day competition. "We all were on the Olympic Team and they just split us up into little groups and we played."

Hope you have this one of Lily Barry and her biggest fan, Grandma Lula Belle Barry.

Lily Barry is all smiles holding the 2018 8th Grade Class 1A State Championship trophy.

Lily Barry relaxed and having fun during the opening round of the 7th Grade Class 1A State Tournament. Here she is either telling 5th grader Zoe Miller a thing or two about volleyball or the latest styles in Crocs. 

Lily Barry soars and serves during the 7th Grade state title game with Grayville.

Barry (11) hugs Addie Beekman following the Stags 7th Grade Class 1A State Championship at Decatur LSA.

Barry leaves later this week for Indianapolis to try out for the summer Olympic Team. If she makes that cut and the next cut she will be a member of the International Olympic Team. The 6-time IESA volleyball state champion confirms, "If I make the summer one and the next cut in the winter, then I'll go play for the International Team."

That means traveling to places she has no idea of yet to play volleyball.

In the meantime, here is a bit of surprising news. As powerful of a hitter as she is for the Stags, she is a libero for the USA Junior Olympic Team. And she loves it!

"I want to be a libero. I like playing the back row a lot. But for junior high I'll stick to hitting. I'll stay a hitter until I go to college," says the girl who rocks Crocs off the court and flashes a big smile in a heartbeat. She is focused on the court and down to business but once the referee signals game over, she breaks out in a grin as big as that vertical and can't wait to hug her teammates.

Number 11 from Hartem ~ one to keep an eye on!

[Teena Lowery]