By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Strafford volleyball enjoyed a banner year in 2019.
The Lady Indians finished the season with a 31-4 record and notched a sixth-straight district title before falling to Licking in the Class 2 quarterfinals.
While success is nothing new for Strafford — the Lady Indians have tallied at least 30 wins in five of the past six seasons — head coach Ashley Bough will have to develop a brand new lineup in 2020 after losing seven starters and a pair of all-state selections in Mica Chadwell and Taylor Dormann to graduation.
Kaitlyn Vote, Kortnie Mayberry, Sue Wiertzema, Madalynn Ward and Kelsie Mayberry depart the program, as well.
Chadwell will continue her athletic career at College of the Ozarks, while Ward will play at Mercyhurst University this fall.
“Last year’s team set the standard high and we will work hard this season to continue the tradition of hard work and getting better at each and every game, Bough said. “Besides having successful winning seasons, this group led their teammates on and off the court by showing dedication, hard work and discipline in all they did.”
Despite the significant graduation losses, Strafford does return a trio of players with varsity experience.
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Junior right side/middle blocker Christa Duffel (90 kills, 13 blocks, 21 digs), junior defensive specialist Emma Mulings (70 digs) and sophomore setter/outside hitter Abby Chadwell (375 assists, 15 kills, 76 digs, 25 aces) are set to lead the Lady Indians’ attack this season.
“Our team for this season will be comprised of several new faces,” Bough said. “All of these newcomers are eager to learn and have worked hard so far this off season to be able to fill big roles. We are looking forward to seeing them grow as the season progresses.”
Those newcomers include seniors Mackenzie Broemmer, Solpneuma Horton and Emma Ivey; junior Kendall Gardner and sophomores Ashley Suter, Sophia Freking and Keylee Crawford.
With a host of new faces and new roles throughout the program, Bough is taking a patient approach with her team’s development.
“I have the mentality to take one day at a time,” Bough said. “I try not to look too far ahead and primarily focus on our goal of making our team better each opportunity. We hope to see a lot of growth as the season goes on. Our kids have a lot of potential. We still have a lot of unknown but are excited to get in the gym consistently to figure things out.”
While Strafford’s roster will be raw and inexperienced early on this season, Bough believes its talent and versatility will help shorten the learning curve and allow for big improvements as the season progresses.
“Overall, we are a young team, but they have so much potential,” Bough said. “I think we will surprise a few people if they work hard and want it. We will hopefully be very versatile with our attack and be able to spread our offense out amongst many players.”
Strafford opens its season Aug. 29 in the Branson Invitational Tournament.
