Four-year starters Savannah Merriman and Brylee King are among the seven seniors who will lead the way for the Neosho High School volleyball team this fall.
Seniors Abby Jarvis, Andi Johnson, Kaylee Butler, Shelby Roberts and Melia Robertson also return with prior varsity experience.
“I am blessed to have seven seniors return this year who have had a lot of varsity experience previously,” Neosho coach Ann Landrum said.
Merriman earned honorable mention all-conference honors last year at outside hitter, while King has also been a key performer from the time she entered high school.
“Savannah and Brylee will definitely lead the way,” Landrum said. “Savannah will set and hit for us, and Brylee will hit and pass for us, as well as keep us grounded. Our other seniors bring a lot to the table.”
Butler will be a setter, Jarvis and Roberts will play the middle positions, Johnson will play outside hitter and Robertson will anchor the Wildcats defensively.
Juniors Lexi Laney (setter, outside hitter) and Rylee Amato (libero) are also expected to contribute nicely this season.
Juniors Kylee Schmidt and Lana Yang, and sophomores Meredith Baldwin and Capri Williams are other players in the mix for varsity playing time.
Landrum noted her expectations for the team never change.
“We have the same expectations from the start—stay focused, play hard and get better one ball at a time,” she said.
Landrum noted the Wildcats have been working hard in practice in preparation for the season-opener against Seneca on Sept. 1.
And the veteran coach added she’s been pleased with what she’s seen.
“First and foremost, I love my kids,” Landrum said. “I have great kids. This year, all the way around, has been exciting. We have a varsity team led by seven seniors with a wonderful support staff behind them. There is actually depth in positions, which we really haven’t had much of in the past.”
“The JV kids are stronger and more knowledgeable,” Landrum added. “And, for the first time in five years, we have a freshman team—that’s exciting! All the kids mesh really well. They genuinely like each other and it’s fun to watch them. They are more competitive at each level and things are starting to click. I believe they’re going to be fun to watch and they are going to make some wonderful memories.”
