Fall 2017 Preview: Golden City Volleyball

Golden City High School volleyball coach Sean Crane isn’t sure where his team stands entering the 2017 season.

The Lady Eagles lose their best player from last year in Alex Radovic, a foreign exchange student from Eastern Europe. The graduated senior led the team with 237 kills, 67 aces, 106 digs and 173 receptions, while earning First-Team Spring River Valley All-Conference honors.

Golden City also loses starting libero after compiling, 109 receptions, 90 digs and 52 aces. They’ll also miss middle hitter Lena Brewer, who led the team with 61 blocks.

The good news for Golden City is the Lady Eagles bring back some experience from last year’s team that went 16-12-2 last season after falling to Lockwood in a Class 1, District 9 semifinal game.

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“Honestly, at the moment, we’re not really sure what our expectations are,” Crane said. “We don’t expect to be bad, but our conference, at the moment, is kind of on the up. I don’t really feel like there is a bad team in it. Last year we were pretty good, and we finished fifth. The conference is very good at volleyball.”

The season-ending loss was especially hard for Crane to swallow. Golden City met Lockwood three times last season. The Lady Tigers won the first match, Golden City was victorious in round two and Lockwood sent Golden City packing in district play.

“We played them pretty tightly,” Crane said. “It was a kind of tough one for me because Lockwood’s coach (Jamie Roschevitz) is also my sister. It was not one we wanted to lose”

During Crane’s evaluation this summer, the Lady Eagles have some solid players returning. They also “have a couple spots we need to figure some things out,” Crane said.

Ashlyn Woodworth, a second-team all-conference setter as a sophomore last year, had 384 assists, 203 digs, and 61 aces. She will be expected to lead Golden City this season.

Taylor Beerly (senior OH) was second-team all-district and second-team all-region as a junior after compiling 141 assists. Brooklyn Woodworrth (Senior OH/DS) added 171 receptions, 135 digs and 61 assists, while Brooke Friesenborg (Junior MH) contributed with 198 receptions.

“Some of (those players) are going to have to play in some different spots and do some different things that they haven’t had to do for us in the past,” Crane said. “We’re going to have to find that last spot or two. I think we have those people — they just haven’t had to do it yet. They’ve had other people in front of them.”

New to the mix is Kaylee Veach (sophomore OH/DS), Lynzi Taylor (junior DS), Katelund Bilyeu (senior MH) and Julie Jenkins (junior MH).

With a combination of veteran players and newcomers, Crane believes the Lady Eagles will be a work in progress this season.

“I think we will get better throughout the year,” he said. “Some of the people that are going to play for us are kind of young. I think they will develop and get better throughout time.

“This is probably everybody’s goal, but for us to be up to the ability where we can be a contender come district time, which I really think we could. I do not think we are the favorite in our district, whatsoever, but I do think we can be a team that can have a chance.”