By Chris Parker

Fall 2019 Preview: Strafford Volleyball

Strafford volleyball has been one of the area’s top programs over the past five years. The Lady Indians have won 155 total matches including five consecutive district championships.

There isn’t any one thing that has allowed so much success to be had for the Lady Indians according to head coach Ashley Bough.

“I don’t believe there is a big secret. I have learned through my playing and coaching experiences that success takes hard work, consistency, a competitive edge and things coming together at the right time. Over the past five seasons, we have seen success and disappointments, allowing us to learn and make adjustments in order to grow as teams and as a program. Young players watch and learn, hoping to one day make an impact on the court and that goes a long way. Over these years, a sense of pride and tradition has started to develop and that is exciting as a coach. It is not just with volleyball either. Strafford High School has seen much success in many areas and that is because we have hard working kids who are supported and encouraged to continually push themselves to accomplish great things by our district, families and most importantly the community,” Bough said.

This year’s version of the Lady Indians will be led by two-time all-state selection Mica Chadwell. Chadwell had a team-high 239 kills last season.

“Mica is one of the most competitive kids I know. She may not always have a hard hit ball on the court, but she knows where to place the ball to be effective. If she doesn’t accomplish this the first time, she will outwork others to find a way to make it happen,” Bough said.

Chadwell, along with all the other seniors, will be looked to for leadership while being a six-rotation player. She also will be working to overcome a broken femur sustained in the spring.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE FALL SPORTS PREVIEWS

“I have high expectations for all my kids. However; with players like Mica who have some varsity experience, I expect a little more outside of just skill. Mica, along with the other seniors are going to have to fill some big leadership positions on the court. We need them to hold not only themselves but others accountable both on and off the court. Mica is also going to have to continue to be one of our go-to players that can terminate a ball when needed but also provide consistency both physically and mentally,” Bough said. “Mica has a little bit of an extra hurdle this year. She is coming off of a femur break from the spring and has worked super hard to ensure that she doesn’t miss anything and exceed the expectations of doctors. I am so proud of her and know that she will just continue to grow.”

Fellow seniors Taylor Dormann and Kaitlyn Vote return as well after finishing second and third on the team in kills last year. Dormann will be primarily a middle while Vote plays all six rotations.

“It is exciting to return most of our offense, but we still have so much room to grow. We are working to become more efficient and delivering a more diverse offense that is harder to defend,” Bough said. “The kids have been working hard to develop more tools offensively and continue to build connections with our returning setter, Madalynn (Ward) and our new setter Abby (Chadwell). I am looking forward to seeing their growth continue into season.”

Ward, a senior, accounted for 291 assists last season. Classmate Sue Wiertzema rounds out the returning varsity players for Strafford.

Kelsie Mayberry (senior right side), Kortnie Mayberry (senior defensive specialist), Mackenzie Broemmer (junior outside hitter/right side), Christa Duffel (sophomore middle/right side), Emma Mullings (sophomore defensive specialist) and Abby Chadwell (freshman setter/right side) will be new varsity contributors this year.

Getting a good chemistry established between the returning senior leaders and new varsity players will be key for Strafford to have a chance to capture a sixth consecutive district title.

“We lost a great group of senior leaders last year that brought consistent ball control, tough defense and that competitive edge. Our team has been working this off-season on maintaining all of these things but it naturally takes time. I know this group will get there. This group of seniors are determined to leave a legacy similar to those before them, so they are excited to get started and improve in August,” Bough said. “Our goals this season are to continuously improve each day and maintain our level of intensity each and every game. We try to instill in our kids that it is important to out-work and out-hustle others in everything they do. We are excited to see our growth as the season goes and we will work to be competitive until the end.”

Strafford will travel to Springfield Central on Aug. 26 for a jamboree. The Lady Indians will open the season on Sept. 5 at home against Forsyth.