Carl Junction volleyball returns five seniors and three additional starters to the varsity squad coming off a run to the sectional round of the state tournament a year ago with hopes to carry that success and momentum into the 2021 season.
“We are fired up and ready to get back on the court and compete,” Carl Junction coach Cheryl Sharples, who is entering her sixth season as head coach, said about the outlook of her team. “Experience is a major key to anything you are doing. Sometimes when you are out of place for the first time, that can get you beat. I feel like all of these kids have been in the postseason enough that they know what that experience is like, and they can take that and carry it through.”
Carl Junction finished with a 27-4 record, 6-2 in the Central Ozark Conference a year ago and graduated seniors Salma Lewis and Jill Kennedy. While Lewis and Kennedy are impactful losses, the Bulldogs welcome back seniors Jessa Hylton (OH) — a first-team all-district and first-team all-COC selection who also garnered all-state recognition — Olivia Vediz (libero), Maggie Brown (MH/OH), Abigale Wilson (RH) and Ellie Lawson (DS).
Also returning for the Bulldogs are junior setter Logan Jones, an Arkansas commit who is ranked third overall in the state of Missouri and was an all-state selection that earned first-team all-district and first-team all-COC honors, junior outside hitter Destiny Buerge and sophomore middle blocker Kylie Scott.
“We have a great core of kids coming back,” Sharples said. “We have two big spots to fill, but we have an all-state outside hitter in Jessa Hylton and an all-state setter in Logan Jones coming back to kind of lead the pack. We will look for Kylie Scott to do a lot for us in the middle and Olivia Vediz, defensively, to step up for us. We also have (Destiny) Buerge coming back.”
Newcomers to the varsity level who figure to make an impact include junior outside hitter Chloe Taylor, sophomore defensive specialist Abigail Wilson and junior setter/defensive specialist Jocelyn Brown.
“Chloe Taylor has had a good offseason,” Sharples said. “We also have some younger kids coming on and doing some nice things. Abigail Wilson is more of a defensive player. Aubreigh Fowler is a sophomore hitter who has gotten some varsity playing time and done some good things for us this summer.”
With so much talent returning to the varsity program, the team’s experience figures to be the biggest strength heading into the 2021 season.
“We have four to five kids who have significant hitting experience for us and have taken a lot of swings for us,” Sharples said. “I feel like that experience is going to help with our kids’ consistency. And of course, Logan keeps us in a very fast offense. I feel like that will create our success.”
As far as on the court, the Bulldogs will have an explosive offense this season with an emphasis on quality service runs as well as ball control.
“We are going to focus a lot on the serve and pass game,” Sharples said. “(Our focus will be) keeping ourselves in system and keeping other teams out of system.”
What will the Bulldogs need to iron out as the season progresses? According to Coach Sharples, blocking and controlling the net in general will be a major point of focus.
“Obviously, we want to improve in every part of the game, but blocking is going to be a focus point for us,” Sharples said. “We have to make sure we are controlling the net.”
Carl Junction opens the season at Kickapoo on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
