By Josh Hall (josh.hall@ky3.com)
A loss to Nevada in a Class 3 district semifinal game last year left the Aurora High School volleyball team with a bad feeling throughout the offseason.
Now, the Lady Houns are motivated as ever to make a run in 2017. That’s one of the reasons they have made it a point of emphasis to play with “grit” this season.
“It’s like the western days of putting everything you have into every day and fighting the good fight,” Auroa coach Skye Wade said. “Last season’s ending put a sour taste in our mouths and the program is pushing towards grit.”
Aurora went 20-10-1 in 2016 and claimed a conference championship after going undefeated in the Big 8 a year ago.
The Lady Houns lose Emily Parker, now playing basketball at Drury University, and Courtney Paulsen to graduation, but they return five players who earned all-conference honors.
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Kaylee Huffman and Emily Moore both were both first-team selections. Julia McVey and Rachel Negre were named to the second team, while Baylee Husmann received honorable mention honors.
“The upcoming season, our returners will have strong leadership pushing to meet our team goals,” Huffman said. “With the time, effort and dedication leading towards the fix of last year’s ending, we the team, want to be back and better than ever.”
Huffman will be the loudest and brightest player on the floor at libero, according to Wade. As a junior, Huffman had a team-high 354 digs.
Moore, a senior outside hitter, led the Lady Houns with 191 kills and 36 aces, while adding 209 digs last season.
Negre will once again look to place hitters in the best positions to gain kills as Aurora’s returning setter. Last season as a junior, she tallied 522 assists.
McVey, another junior outside hitter, had 182 kills, 32 aces and 154 digs in 2016.
Husmann returns as a right-side hitter. At 5-foot-10 Husmann also has the highest vertical jump on the team. She compiled 65 kills, 53 blocks and 33 aces last season.
Senior Kiersten Coatney and sophomore Brooke Bellamy will both patrol the middle again this year. In 2016, Bellamy had a team-high 61 blocks, while Coatney added 44.
Defensive specialists Jacy Heller (senior) and Savannah Miller (junior) round out the varsity returners for Aurora this season.
That experience, and the success the Lady Houns saw last season, has them excited for 2017.
“We’re going to have many attributes, both offensive and defensively, who are able to make smart, on-court decisions, giving us the opportunity to compete every night,” Moore said.
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