By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
As the Bolivar volleyball team prepares for its first season as a member of the Ozark Conference, new head coach Kyle Smith looks to continue the program’s recent success.
After winning just four games in 2018, the Liberators surged to back-to-back 15-win seasons under veteran head coach Tony Phelps. An assistant coach for the 2020 team that finished 15-12-2, Smith was promoted to the top job in February and will guide the team into a new era.
“This season will be very different from the last two as we enter the Ozark Conference and our schedule changes drastically,” Smith said. “We lost a starting setter, Hallie Tucker, that is moving on to play at Judson University. This brings a change in our offense and leadership on the court. Along with the challenges of the conference, we still have a belief we can aim high for the same win total — but understand the new level of effort and strategy it will take to get there.”
Tucker and fellow 2021 graduate Trinity Williamson were named to the all-district teams after leading Bolivar in multiple major categories. Tucker was a first-team choice after recording 747 assists and 38 aces, while Williamson earned second-team honors with 240 kills and 68 blocks.
Emily Hogan, Emma Kirklin and Emma Turner also graduated, creating five holes in the rotation — and plenty of opportunities for returning players to make a case for bigger roles this season.
“We are still working on our starting setting position and lineup,” Smith said. “Hoping to have some questions answered by the end of the summer, but one thing we do know is we have a lot of options and athletes that have played in multiple positions.”
Two players who will see significant playing time are juniors Dailynn VanDeren and Cora Roweton, who combined for 404 kills last season after finishing 1-2 on the team as freshmen.
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“Dailynn is going to surprise some people this fall as she is coming into the gym working harder and eager to learn like I have never seen her before,” Smith said. “She is a beast coming off a
third-place state performance in shot put and is renewing her love for the game.”
Smith touted VanDeren’s versatility, noting she has played both outside and in the middle and will likely see time at both spots this season. Roweton is an all-district selection who led the 2020 Liberators with 247 digs and ranked second with 385 receptions, 228 kills and 50 blocks.
“Cora has been a great leader and has a full understanding of what it is going to take from her and her team to be successful this fall,” Smith said. “She is making those around her better and I am excited for her maturity as an athlete and knowledge of the game to match up with our senior leadership who grind daily and set an awesome example for the entire program.”
Roweton, senior Allison “Fuzz” Butler and senior libero Grace Hampton will be the captains.
Butler is a three-sport athlete who was fifth on the team with 202 digs. Hampton had 225 (third), led the squad with 565 receptions, and added 129 serving points (fourth) and 25 aces (fourth).
Fellow senior Rachel Carr also returns after posting a team-leading 171 serving points, 137 kills (fourth) and 34 aces (second).
Seniors Faith Kuhn and Avery Roweton also will play prominent roles, while juniors Bella Kindrick, GG Fugitt and Kyla Ewing will all compete for playing time.
Tucker’s presence will be missed — no other returner had more than 14 assists, 733 less than her total — but juniors Heidi Williams and Elliana Partin are top candidates for the duties.
With Hampton and Butler on defense, Carr’s strong serving, VanDeren and Cora Roweton leading the way with hitting and the rest of the supporting cast, the Liberators have a strong foundation as they prepare to enter the Ozark Conference after three years as an independent.
“We have a goal to be a very aggressive serving team and a defensive team that flies around,” Smith said. “I think we will still be solid on offense, but we are going to have to frustrate other teams and get them out of system in order to be successful this year.”
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Smith brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Bolivar program.
He has led club teams, high schools and colleges during a career that has included stops in Tennessee, Virginia, California and Missouri — and is excited about the chance to bring his “next-ball mentality” to the varsity squad and establish the team’s identity.
“We must remove the past play — win or lose — and focus on the next,” Smith said. “The hope is that this carries into their lives and that they give 100 percent effort and stay engaged regardless of the score or situation — to have grit and never give up in the toughest of situations.”
Smith also has a great deal of familiarity with the players on this year’s squad.
He coached this year’s freshmen on the 2019 Bolivar seventh-grade team and touted Megan Howard, who “has some great all-around skills that will prove to be beneficial this season.”
The returning varsity players know him from his time as an assistant during the 2020 season, which began with a promising 10-1-2 start and then saw the program play just once in 17 days.
The Liberators went 5-11 over their final 16 games and were eliminated by Webb City in the first round of the district tournament.
“I think because the end of the season had so much to do with coming back after getting
shutdown due to COVID, they are ready to move on,” Smith said. “The way we competed against Webb City in districts with injuries, they know what we are working toward this year and what it will take to win.”
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Smith also acknowledges the challenges of stepping into this program right now, as the change ensures the Class of 2022 will play for three different head coaches in their four seasons.
“Many of them know of my experience and trust that it will pay off if they buy in,” Smith said. “The big thing I am working on is giving them ownership in how they go about what we do and focus on the process. I also deal with the truth of this situation and am working to make sure they feel valued and that while life may happen we can choose how to respond to it.”
The Liberators will travel to Osage Beach for a jamboree with School of the Osage, Buffalo and Hillcrest on August 24. Their first home game of the season is September 7 against Ash Grove.
