All five area volleyball teams have high hopes for 2019 and are looking to make deeper postseason runs than they did a season ago. Between returning talent and promising newcomers, each team has plenty of confidence with the season less than two weeks away.
Apollo had a record-breaking run through the regular season, though they were upended in the 9th District championship by Owensboro Catholic, and a loss in the 3rd Region title game ended their run just short of a berth in the state tournament.
The Lady Aces overcame a slow start to end the season strong, but they too fell in the region tournament. They’ll use a roster full of upperclassmen to take the next step this year.
Daviess County and Owensboro will each rely on a handful of returning players to continue building on foundations laid last year. Both programs are using team-first approaches to find success and increase intensity.
For Trinity, the combination of a first-year head coach and the loss of several key players will be a big hurdle, but the Lady Raiders will look to continue a long stretch of recent success.
See below for bios on each team. Keep up with our coverage throughout the year by following us on Twitter @OwensboroSports, liking us on Facebook and checking online for daily results.
Apollo
Following a largely dominant 2018 season that ended with Apollo finishing runner-up in the 3rd region tournament, head coach MaryAnne Howard and the E-Gals are looking to be a threat again in 2019.
After losing a couple of key players to graduation, this year’s roster will feature a solid mixture of returners and newcomers.
“We will look for Natalie Ewing and Brylee Rhodes to be strong for us in the middle again this season and help to control our net play,” Howard said. “We are also counting on Hallie Wilson to continue to be a solid passer and leader for us in the back row. We are looking for Anslee Hopewell to fill a big role as a passer and setter this season to run our offense.”
The biggest void Apollo will have to fill comes from the loss of setter Carlee Widmer, who set a program record with 1,613 assists as a three-year varsity starter. Howard said setting has been an emphasis in the preseason.
“We have two new setters to the varsity lineup this year and we are continuing to work to get our hitters adjusted to them,” Howard said. “We have been improving every day in this area and the more it continues to improve the more efficient our offense is going to be.”
Owensboro Catholic
Owensboro Catholic caught fire at the right time last season, riding a hot streak to a 9th District championship before falling in the 3rd Region tournament. This season, head coach Brian Hardison and the Lady Aces will be looking to take the next step and make a trip to the state tournament.
Hardison is excited for his experienced rotation of players, especially with a dominant front line that could includes the senior trio of setter Cecilia Clemens and hitters Belle Wright and Cassidy Towery.
“Cecilia, Belle and Cassidy are our 1-2-3 punch,” Hardison said. “But we have several returning underclassmen that will we expect to make a big difference along with our other seniors.”
While he’s confident in his squad, Hardison said the rest of the 9th District will be tough competition, and he said district foes will provide a great training ground to prepare his team for a run at a state tournament appearance.
“Every team in our district is a threat on any given night,” Hardison said. “Playing together as a team, we need to be ready to play the ball the second and third time it crosses the net. Playing smarter, I believe, will help us win a lot of games this year.”
Daviess County
Though head coach Tyla Bailey and the Lady Panthers ended last season disappointed after failing to reach the 3rd region tournament, they were also hopeful to build off a solid year of growth and hard work.
Returning senior contributors Hannah Axley, Delaney Evans, Ashton Johnson and Kinsley Phelps will be key for ensuring Daviess County has a chance to achieve their goals. Bailey expects her squad to compete each time they step onto the court, and she believes this year’s team is cut from a different cloth.
“For most high school athletes, waking up at 6 a.m. each day during the summer is not happening,” Bailey said. “These girls are different, though. They have been committed to practicing hard and they showed up ready to go each morning this summer. We could not ask for a better group of girls to coach.”
Bailey said finding success this season will also help build toward the long-term goal of creating a tradition.
“We always want to build on our existing tradition of leaving a positive past for future teams to follow and get better every day,” Bailey said. “The key to success in achieving our vision of tradition is for our team this year to maintain positive energy every time we step on the court.”
Owensboro
Owensboro head coach Melissa Hibbs is excited for a new season at the helm for the Lady Devils, and she has a strong returning cast to help lead the way on the court.
Owensboro will be led by seniors Mykael Winstead and Armanda Pappas, while junior Krystell Pappas will also be a valuable asset. Krysetll Pappas, a multi-sport athlete, boasts great versatility across the court, able to fill any role.
“Last season, Krystell made the All-District team,” Hibbs said. “She played in various roles for us, but she is our most consistent setter on the team. She has a high volleyball IQ and runs the floor for us.”
Hibbs said the key to improving and being competitive all year will by remaining focused on a team approach.
“As a team, we believe everyone must step up in order for us to be successful,” Hibbs said. “We have a large varsity roster this year. Every girl is competing for a starting spot, whether upperclassmen or underclassmen. This has led to practices being at a higher level of intensity than in years past. We are hoping that intensity translates to the floor in regular-season games this year.”
Trinity
After spending some time with the volleyball team past years, Daniel Morris will take over as coach for 2019. Morris replaces long-time coach Adam Huff who laid a solid foundation that culminated with another 12th District championship last season.
“Coming in as a brand new coach this season, nothing has been easy,” Morris said. “I’m learning new things about our players and the different goals that each of our kids has. Growing up through high school and being part of the volleyball team as a manager has helped prepare me for this role, though, and I’m excited to jump in.”
The Lady Raiders have some big shoes to fill after losing several crucial seniors, each having played significant roles in the success of the Lady Raiders. Still, Morris thinks a mix of returning players and newcomers can continue the winning tradition of the program.
“We will miss our graduated seniors undoubtedly,” Morris said. “That aside, we do have some key contributing players that will help us throughout the season. Of the returning players, seniors Morgan Kinsey and Avery Barnett are two girls who will be huge factors in the team’s success. Their leadership and communication skills should help us greatly.”
