By Chris Parker
El Dorado Springs volleyball has three consecutive 28-win seasons going 84-15-5 over that span, but the Bulldogs have not yet made it to a final four.
They will look to change that this year with an experienced team led by all-state seniors Tevi Gurley and Reese Schaaf. The duo combined for more than 900 assists and 650 kills last season.
“Tevi and Reese have started for me since their freshman year. They have always had an unspoken chemistry. They work well together and are able to score even though they are usually our offensive leaders. Their experience on the court is what benefits them the most. They don’t even have to speak to each other to know what the other one is thinking or doing,” El Dorado Springs head coach Ashley Rogers said.
Gurley had 332 kills, 66 aces, 303 digs and 516 assists last year. All of those marks led the team. Schaaf contributed 320 kills, 29 aces, 293 digs and 440 assists. All but the aces were second on the team.
“I rely on them (Gurley and Schaaf) for a lot of things. They have both played a huge role in our team each year. They are able to lead effectively on and off the court. They are extremely competitive and respected by their teammates and demonstrate a strong work ethic. They are rarely absent from any team activities/conditioning. They have made my job a lot easier because of their ability and willingness to work. They have high expectations for themselves, their teammates, and our season,” Rogers said.
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They will both play setter and right side hitter.
“I expect them (Gurley and Schaaf) to expand their roles on the court. They have seen what it takes to succeed and have learned from some tough losses. I expect them to set the example for everyone else and work with their teammates to be successful throughout our entire season,” Rogers said.
El Dorado Springs also brings back senior Dani Ogle and junior Maci Mays. Ogle tallied 179 kills with Mays adding in 234. The duo led the team in blocking with a team-high 37 blocks for Mays and 33 blocks for Ogle. Ogle led the team with 366 serve receptions.
“Macie and Dani are also very crucial to our lineup. Being able to work the ball around to different hitters is such a blessing. They are working to run quicker options and being a huge defensive force at the net. We are contemplating moving one of them to the outside, so that will mix it up some more and give us more options,” Rogers said.
They are both middle hitters that play six rotations.
“As with Tevi and Reese, they are both six rotation players, so their front row abilities are just as important as their back row. They all bring a lot of experience to our game. Macie is a quiet leader. She is adamant about making sure she is perfecting her skill. She’s eager to learn every day. Dani is never satisfied and wants to make sure she is bringing her best. She is always looking to get another rep no matter where she is on the court. Dani and Macie have a huge block, and they are our first line of defense. We depend on them for that and work our defense around them,” Rogers said.
Gurley, Schaaf, Mays and Ogle combined for 1,065 of El Dorado Springs’ 1,119 kills last year, which is 95% of the kills. In addition, they combined for 97% of the assists, 96% of the blocks, 77% of the aces, 72% of the serve receptions and 66% of the digs for El Dorado Springs.
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Sophomores Gracie Mead (middle hitter) and Tenlie Steward (libero) also return to the varsity lineup.
“Gracie has really come into her own. She puts up a strong block and swings well. She played a little varsity last year, but I have seen big improvements in her knowledge and ability,” Rogers said. “Tenlie played some varsity last year in multiple positions. She is starting to take charge of the back row and becoming a vocal leader for her teammates. She is very quick and reads the hitters well.”
Neely Schaaf (outside hitter) and Alexis Collins (outside hitter/defensive specialist) are expected to make an immediate varsity impact as freshmen.
“Neely is very athletic and comes in with a great skill set. She has a strong work ethic and is constantly asking for more reps to perfect her game. She swings well from the outside and is very quick and anticipates the ball well on defense,” Rogers said. “Alexis has a lot of court knowledge. She is a very strategic player and places the ball well. She reads hitters well from the back row and is able to execute her skills.”
Abi Schmitt (sophomore middle hitter), Avery Floyd (freshman outside hitter), Grace Kinnett (sophomore right side hitter), Nikki Waggoner (freshman defensive specialist), Carly Thompson (freshman outside hitter), Kiera Strauch (freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist) and Madi Fast (freshman defensive specialist) could also see varsity action.
El Dorado Springs will have some depth, but it will be experience that carries the Bulldogs this year.
“Experience and athletic ability, we have a ton. We have won some big games and lost some big games in the past few years. This has positively affected all of us. They have learned from mistakes and are learning to overcome obstacles,” Rogers said. “We are extremely athletic and will use this to our advantage. Almost all of my players are multi-sport athletes. They are constantly in the gym or on the field. They work hard all year long. This makes them so well rounded as an athlete.”
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That depth and experience also helped with the move from a best of three to best of five set format.
“We got to play more sets and gained more experience each night. We only had one 5 set match the entire season,” Rogers said. “I am a firm believer in conditioning. We work hard all summer to get to where we need to be and then continue that through the season. We increased some of our drills, reps, and time to help with endurance.”
El Dorado Springs will jamboree at Willard with Catholic, Reeds Spring and the host Tigers. The Bulldogs open the season on Aug. 31 at Adrian.
That will just be the beginning of what Rogers hopes to be a season that finishes in Cape Girardeau at the final four.
“My expectations are high. We have the ability to advance well into the postseason. Ultimately, the goal would be the Final Four,” Rogers said. “We just have to take it one game at a time and work to improve every aspect, every game.”
