Joni Lawrence never thought of herself as a pioneer, just a very active girl.

That’s why Lawrence, who already played two sports, wanted to make it three when she came to Meadowview Christian School four years ago.

Lawrence transferred from Southern Academy for her eighth-grade academic year. While at Southern, Lawrence was a three-sport standout in softball, basketball and volleyball. When she came to MCS in eighth grade, Lawrence was again ready to star in the three sports she loved. However, there was one problem – the school did not have a volleyball program.

“I was kind of sad,” Lawrence said, “because I wanted to play volleyball, softball and basketball. I just had to focus on basketball and softball.”

That trend continued for three years, until her junior year in 2003. That’s when Lawrence found out that MCS would finally have a volleyball team.

“I was pretty excited,” Lawrence said. “I’ve been here for three years and they didn’t have a volleyball team. I was willing and ready to play.”

The original team last year was coach by Saralyn Raines, daughter of this year’s coach Rick Raines. Lawrence took an instant liking to her new coach and began helping her young teammates.

“I helped coach Raines get the players in order, help them in practice,” Lawrence said.

Although the Lady Trojans won just two games last season, Lawrence and her coach helped lay the foundation for this season’s team. Now that his daughter has returned to college, Rick Raines is the Lady Trojans’ head coach.

The volleyball coaches’ situation has changed at MCS, but the leadership remains the same.

“This year she’s meant everything to the team,” Rick Raines said of Lawrence. “She’s my stability. I’m certainly glad we’ve got a girl like her with some experience on the team.

“Joni’s a special person,” Raines added. “She gives everything she’s got. She loves the game. That’s he thing about Joni – she loves the game so much that she enjoys coming in and helping the team any way she can. She’s a leader and a role model.”

Lawrence credited her mother, Tammy Cowan for inspiring her to play volleyball and attending her team’s games.

She also said she appreciated the adjustments her coach has made with leading the volleyball team for the first time.

“I just try to be a normal teammate,” the senior outside hitter said. “I don’t try to boss them around. I want to help them as much as possible. We win and lose as a team.

“It gets kind of hectic,” Lawrence added, “because Coach Raines is the only coach we have. He’s used to coaching guys in basketball. He can get in their faces and scream. Coaching the girls, he has to back off. But he’s always there when we don’t understand something and we need it explained.”

Raines and the Lady Trojans hope to eclipse last year’s win total of two. Lawrence is willing to see to it that happens.

“I want the team to prove we can still pull through and win,” she said. “No matter how far I have to slide or how far I have to run to get to a shot, I’m getting there.”