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Fall 2017 Preview: Forsyth Volleyball

By Josh Hall (Josh.hall@ky3.com)

It was a good year for the Forsyth High School Volleyball team in 2016.

The Lady Panthers more than doubled their win total last season from the previous two after winning eight games in 2015 and eight in 2014. Forsyth finished the year with a 19-10-1 record after falling to Marionville in a Class 2, District 10 semifinal game.

How this season will turn out is a bit of a mystery after Forsyth loses four seniors from last year’s team, including SWCL honorable mention selections Maycee Lumley and Lauryn Stiffler.

“I feel like we’re on a building year,” said head coach Katrina Gockley, who won 25 games during her first season at the helm in 2012. “We have a ton of talented freshman coming in. Just getting the court experience is going to be our struggle.”

Baylee Henderson returns for her senior season as a middle hitter after earning First-Team SWCL All-Conference honors in 2016.

“It’s like we’re re-starting,” Henderson said.

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While that may be the case, the Lady Panthers return senior middle hitter Ashton Davidson and sophomore outside hitter Emily Shipman.

Gockley said volleyball is a secondary sport for the duo, but she is happy to have their athleticism. Davidson is a potential college basketball player, while Shipman has already gotten looks from NCAA Division I programs for softball.

For now, Davidson and Shipman are focused on competing at the highest level on the volleyball court.

“It’s kind of a rebuilding year,” said Davidson, who started playing volleyball as a freshman and is a three-year starter for basketball. “We’re going to try to win as many games as possible and get better as a team.”

Forsyth will have a freshman setter in Katrina Drake, but the Lady Panthers could also run a 6-2 rotation with Hannah Sullinger (junior), who set for the junior varsity team last season.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement, but we’re happy with what we’re seeing so far,” Gockley said. “I don’t like to overestimate what we can do yet, but I think we’ll be competitive when we’re in the gym on a regular basis.”