By Chris Parker
Fair Grove volleyball is going for a big milestone this season aiming for a 20th consecutive 20-win season.
“With the tough schedule that we play, my girls will really need to step it up in order to keep that streak alive,” Fair Grove head coach Tonya Peck said. “Our competitive drive and enthusiasm is something that we have been working on and I believe this will be the key to a winning season. With so many new faces, some of them young, we will have to want to win and be willing to work for it.”
Those new faces will have to step up because Fair Grove graduated a group of five seniors that included two all-state selections and two more all-conference selections.
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“Last year’s senior class was a lot of fun,” Peck said. “They worked hard all season to get our chemistry/rotation figured out. My only regret with that group is that our season ended right as we were getting it all figured out. We were playing our best ball at districts, which is our goal every year. Since every single one of them was in our starting rotation, they leave big holes for our returning and new girls to fill.”
Three players return from last year’s lineup including Sarah Beals (senior OH/RS), Lauren Kennard (senior MH) and Chloe Reynaud (junior DS).
“I will expect a lot in the way of leadership from these three. In order for our team to be successful, these three will need to have big shoulders and display the hard work and enthusiasm expected from leaders,” Peck said.
Juniors Kaci Collins (OH/DS), Macee McAtee (S), Paige Robinson (S) and Audrey Williams (OH) along with sophomores Katie Mueller (DS) and Kameron Green (MH) will look to fill holes left by the graduated seniors. Freshmen Allison Findley (S/MH) and Hannah Maxwell (S/MH/OH) lead a talented freshman class.
The names change for Fair Grove volleyball, but the expectations don’t.
“Same story. Different year. Our goals are to be playing our best ball by post-season and be playing in November. No matter what we have lost to graduation the previous year, we set our eyes on a post-season run,” Peck said.
Fair Grove opens the season on Aug. 29 at the Branson Invitational.
