Cristen was part of the inaugural Liberty volleyball team, which laid the foundation for what the program represents today: teamwork, perseverance, and family. During the school’s first four years, the teams won three Central Section Championships, paving the way for a state championship just one year after her class graduated. Her leadership, sportsmanship, and team spirit set a lasting standard that continues to inspire Liberty volleyball athletes two decades later.
To honor her memory, Coach Morgan Dake created a special jersey replicating the original Liberty uniform worn during Cristen’s playing days. It featured her maiden name, “Trent,” and her number, 12, on the back. The jersey was presented to her family, her parents, two daughters, and in-laws, by several Liberty volleyball alumni who had once shared the court with Cristen. Their return to campus underscored the enduring bond of the Liberty volleyball family.
Adding to the tribute, Liberty’s ASB designed remembrance t-shirts to sell in honor of Cristen, using the proceeds to support her two daughters. The generosity of the Liberty community quickly became apparent, as donations throughout the evening far exceeded the sales of shirts. In total, over $1,000 was raised to benefit Cristen’s daughters, demonstrating the deep sense of compassion and unity that defines Liberty High.
The current Liberty volleyball players also signed a volleyball for each of Cristen’s daughters and presented the gifts to them during the ceremony, a heartfelt gesture symbolizing the connection between past and present generations of Liberty athletes.
Principal Leandrea Slayton, who formally served as Liberty’s varsity volleyball coach for 14 years, shared an emotional reflection during the ceremony. “Looking around the gym as I shared a bit of Cristen’s legacy and seeing the faces of our current players and coaches mixed with alumni and so many from the volleyball community that I had coached, coached against, and played with, reminded me of what a special community it is. It is a great reminder of what we do being about more than competition,” she said.
Slayton added, “I was so proud of how our Liberty team played that night and for the Liberty alumni to see what they started so many years ago has been sustained and grown.”
Senior Avery Mahanke reflected on what the tribute meant to the current team:
“Even though we never got to meet Cristen, we were truly grateful to do everything we could to support her daughters. Hopefully we were able to bring them some joy and they were able to see what impact their mom had. The events of the night contributed greatly to our team’s motivation to play in honor of her legacy, the people in attendance who loved her, and for the school she had such a great impact on.”
Coach Morgan Dake shared her pride in the team’s performance following the emotional evening. “This was a complete team win. The amount of focus, intensity, and heart these girls played with was incredible to watch. They executed well in all aspects of the game, but the biggest difference was they played for one another and played for something bigger than themselves.”
The night was a powerful reminder that Liberty volleyball is built not only on championships but on relationships, memories, and shared purpose. As the team took the court, they played not just for a win, but in honor of a teammate whose legacy continues to live on in every serve, dig, and point scored.