ST. PAULS — The Lowery family is a volleyball family.

Mother Glenda is the head coach at St. Pauls, daughter Savanna played in both high school and college, and daughter Katherin is currently a junior for the Bulldogs.

All three are now county award winners as part of an All-County Team published by The Robesonian.

Katherin Lowery has been named Robeson County Player of the Year after this fall’s season and Glenda Lowery is the county’s Coach of the Year, joining Savanna Lowery, who was named the county’s Player of the Year in 2020.

Katherin Lowery’s Player of the Year recognition comes after years of dedication to the sport and helping lead the Bulldogs to the first round of the 2A state playoffs this year.

“I practice a lot, I play constantly, at home, all throughout the year,” Katherin Lowery said. “With my teammates, I’ve known some of them for a while. And I try to stay upbeat, on the court and in practice, and don’t let little things get to me.”

A true all-around player, Lowery totaled 55 aces, 88 kills, 229 assists and 112 digs this season. She is listed as an outside hitter, but has played nearly every role imaginable, offensively and defensively, for the Bulldogs.

“When you get players like that, it’s a huge asset to the team because they bring a steadiness to the team, they bring a stability, because you know you can count on them when stuff goes on, and when they’re consistently leading the way, that’s just a huge impact,” Glenda Lowery said.

While Glenda Lowery leads the team from the bench — and Savanna Lowery does too after returning to the program as an assistant coach this season — Katherin Lowery does so from on the floor, using a high volleyball IQ and a positive attitude.

“It’s very important, because I have to know what’s going on, and if I’m down, they’re like, ‘oh we’re screwed,’ so I have to be upbeat and not let stuff get to me,” Katherin Lowery said.

“A volleyball IQ, that’s something that as a coach, you can’t really teach. You can teach things about it, but that IQ is something that has to come from the player,” Glenda Lowery said. “That makes a huge impact, and as she plays she can share that information with her teammates.”

In joining her older sister, Katherin Lowery said she is “proud” of the honor and comparison because of how good a player Savannah Lowery was for the Bulldogs.

“I think sometimes for her, she feels like she’s in her sister’s shadow, she feels like she’s in her mom’s shadow,” Glenda Lowery said. “And for her to achieve that, it’s showing to me, no, it’s not because you’re her sister, it’s not because you’re this person’s child, it’s because you have busted your butt and worked and earned it yourself and other people see how hard you do and other people see the fruit of what you’re doing.”

Coach of the Year

In a season in which she coached a second daughter to win county Player of the Year, Glenda Lowery was also named the Robeson County Coach of the Year, helping the Bulldogs overcome a tough nonconference slate to make the state playoffs.

“I am definitely honored,” Glenda Lowery said. “I was at the middle school level (through 2019) because I wanted to help build up the high school level, and then when they asked me about moving to the high school level, I said I wanted to continue to see that growth, to be able to take the girls to the next level. This year I think we definitely started seeing that and that continuation of what’s growing at St. Pauls.”

Glenda Lowery has now coached the Bulldogs’ current junior class for seven years, starting at the rec level in fifth and sixth grade, then at the middle-school level in seventh and eighth grade. She moved to the high-school coaching staff as an assistant coach for their freshman season in 2020, became head coach when Jory Barnes took maternity leave in 2021, then remained head coach when Barnes decided not to return.

The Bulldogs lost their first six games in nonconference this season — they were later awarded one win in the span due to forfeit — and officially finished their nonconference slate at 1-9, including that forfeit victory. But the road was smoother in conference play, with a 6-6 record and a fourth-place finish in the Southeastern Athletic Conference, enough to qualify for the postseason.

“The big thing was making sure they continued to work together as a team, and a big thing is once they get down, not staying down, coming back out of that,” Glenda Lowery said. “They started that mentality of pull ourselves out, don’t look at that last point, don’t let one point become five, six, seven.”

Glenda Lowery played collegiately at Methodist; Katherin Lowery says that perspective has helped her relate to the players, one generation younger, that she is coaching.

“She treats us all equally, and she also did play back when she was in high school and college, so she does know a player and coach’s perspective,” Katherin Lowery said.

All-County Team

St. Pauls

Cierra Jones — The Bulldogs’ junior setter dished 148 assists, but was also a key scorer with 54 kills and 36 aces. She had 112 digs.

Jada McKinnon — The sophomore middle blocker led the team with 34 blocks, along with 19 aces and 75 kills.

KeMyah Baldwin — A key defensive player, Baldwin had 161 digs and 22 aces.

Lumberton

Aydan Bullard — The senior outside hitter was third in the United-8 with 78 aces and also had 180 digs and 80 kills.

Alona Hanna — The energetic junior hitter ranked in the top 10 in the conference in kills (176) and digs (203).

La’Kayia Hunt — Her 86 blocks left the senior middle hitter third in the league.

Purnell Swett

Georgia Locklear — The senior middle hitter led the conference with 93 blocks and had 53 aces and 141 kills.

Bella Finelli — On the back line, the senior libero had 472 digs, second in the United-8.

Anileigh Locklear — The sophomore setter ranked top 10 in the league in aces (53), assists (224) and digs (225).

Fairmont

Payton Gall — The Golden Tornadoes’ junior setter totaled 207 assists.

Anastasia Andujar — Fairmont’s best hitter, the senior had 154 kills.

Red Springs

Sydney Bell — In 10 games, the athletic Bell had 11 kills and 21 assists.

Honorable Mention

St. Pauls’ Keniah Baldwin, Jaiden Morrisey and Brazlyn Kinlaw, Lumberton’s Leira Smith, Nyiah Walker, Charley Whitley, Annabelle Horrigan and Kaylee Lancaster, and Purnell Swett’s Katelynn Oxendine and Farron Chavis each earned honorable-mention selections.