Soddy Daisy Volleyball Coach Libby Peigen Relishes Her Games Against Her Mother, Ooltewah Coach Elaine Peigen

Last week, Soddy Daisy volleyball coach Libby Peigen coached against her mother again in Ooltewah coach Elaine Peigen.
Libby still has never beaten her mom, but she has seen her mother beat cancer.
Elaine Peigen is a breast cancer survivor.
She and her daughter have been instrumental in creating the Pink-Out games to raise awareness for breast cancer.
We recently sat down with the now mother-daughter rivals.
Elaine-“I’m just proud to watch her follow her passion. I’m glad she’s following her passion. I think since she was really little and young, she always wanted to be on the volleyball court with me. If I wouldn’t let her travel with us, she sat at home and cried when she was four and five-years-old.”
Libby-“Sometimes I get sick of hearing myself talk because I feel like I sound just like her. (laughs) In every district, everybody has that one coach that they can confide in. Luckily it’s my mom. I can call her. We can discuss things that are wrong within our teams.”
Reporter-“Is this thing fun when you go up against each other?”
Libby-“I look forward to it. No matter how many times we lose or win, this will always be my favorite match of the year.”
Reporter-“When you were going through your breast cancer. Were you maybe not wanting to show your daughter that kind of fight?”
Elaine-“No, but it was tough. It was tough to go through everything. One thing I regret is that I didn’t talk to my kids enough about it. It was tough.”
Libby-“But the older that I get, the more I think it hits me. Even at 25-years-old, it weighs on me more now than it did then because I realize what could have been taken from me.”
Reporter-“What will the day be like when Libby finally beats you. How will that post-game go?”
Elaine-“Well”
Libby-“She’ll probably find out in a week.”
Elaine-“Oooh, district time.”
Elaine-“Volleyball is not just a sport that we play or coach. Volleyball has bonded us together over the years. We’ve had our ups and downs, but it’s something that has made our relationship stronger.”