By Chris Parker
Cassville volleyball graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that won four matches.
The Lady Cats will look to turn things around this year behind returning all-state senior Sharayah Seymour. Seymour, who is a six-rotation hitter, led the team with 205 kills last year.
“Sharayah comes back this season as a four-year varsity starter. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge of the sport and game IQ. It’s great to have a kid with talent and athleticism, sure, but when you also get a kid who just gets the game, it really changes how your team can play,” Cassville head coach Briana Kleine said. “As a senior, our expectations for her are simply to be one of our constants. We have three fantastic seniors this year who we are expecting to not only keep us strong and steady but to also demand consistency and progress from our young kids. This season we are focusing on Sharayah being a six-rotation outside hitter. In previous seasons, she has been a middle, a setter, and an outside. I’m confident she could also be a right side or even a libero if we asked her to. She’s great because she really just fits into whatever role our team needs her to fill that season. It’s one of the best things about her as a player.”
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Fellow senior Avery Crain returns after earning honorable mention all-conference honors last season. Crain played libero last year and led the Lady Cats in digs (543) and serve receptions (451).
“Avery is a natural defender, which is why she is such an asset to our team. In previous seasons, Avery was a setter for us. Last season, when Landry (Parnell) was out for her ACL injury, Avery stepped up and took on the role of libero. She did a fantastic job for us in our time of need, but this year, we have transitioned her back to a setter,” Kleine said. “She is our go-to for that role because she never quits on the ball, and she will get that second touch no matter what. I tell my kids all the time that you can’t swing if the other pieces aren’t there. Sharayah doesn’t get set unless Avery gives her a ball. Avery doesn’t get to make that set unless Landry and my other defenders do their job first. One person’s success is dependent upon another’s. We are big on that in our gym. It’s a team effort every play.”
The aforementioned Parnell will be back on the court as a libero after missing her junior year with an ACL injury. Parnell was a second-team all-conference honoree as a sophomore. She used her time on the bench to study the game.
“While she was out, she was another set of eyes for us on the bench last season. We challenged her to spend her recovery period getting better at reading the floor and learning the game. She already had a pretty high game IQ, but now she comes back as a senior better than ever,” Kleine said. “She recovered, played club ball at a high level, and has stepped back on to our varsity floor as a libero without every missing a beat. It seems like she was never even gone. She is one of the greatest examples of determination and overcoming obstacles that I have ever witnessed. She has a lot of grit and perseverance, and I really think that will lend itself to the challenges we will face this season.”
Sophomore Emerson Grossman returns after seeing time in 30 varsity sets last year.
“We are expecting her to make more of an impact this season on offense and put up a solid block for us. She has worked really hard in the off-season playing club ball to prepare for this role, and we are excited to see how she contributes,” Kleine said.
Junior defensive player Dulce Rivera will join varsity fulltime after seeing action in nine sets last year.
“Dulce is fantastic because she is such a positive player who still has a ton of intensity and drive. She keeps her cool during high-pressure situations,” Kleine said.
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Sophomores Madison Halterman (OH/RS), Pazlee Burbridge (M), and Jo Keeven (OH/DS) will also join the varsity floor this season.
“They have worked so hard in the spring and this summer to get ready for the next level. We are really proud of how they have stepped up, and we are hoping that we keep progressing forward,” Kleine said.
Freshman Brittany Jack will see some immediate action on varsity.
“She (Jack) is young, but she’s very eager to get in the game and get better. Ideally, she’s a defensive player, but she’s also a great option as a setter because she will get to anything, and she never gives up on a play,” Kleine said.
Cassville will need these new players to acclimate to the varsity game quickly to have success.
“This year, we have a lot of new faces on our varsity floor. We graduated 7 wonderful seniors last year, and it left some big shoes to fill,” Kleine said. “. In all, we are so excited about these new faces. It’s very hard to graduate that many seniors, but we are pretty confident in these young kids and their potential.”
The senior leaders will be key to helping the new players get up to speed on the varsity game.
“I think having a great core group of seniors will be one of our strengths this season. All three of our seniors have a lot of varsity experience and have spent a lot of time on their own getting better during club ball, clinics, and camps. Just having that experience with the game will help quite a bit in pinch situations and high-pressure games,” Kleine said. “On the other side of that, we are really sophomore heavy with four kids stepping up to our essential lineup who are sophomores. I think those young kids getting time this year will really set us up for success in the next two seasons, which is very exciting. It was a similar situation with my current seniors when they were young kids.”
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Kleine will look for her players to show more poise in close situations.
“This summer we have talked a lot about keeping our cool when the pressure gets high. In previous seasons, we have really struggled with that, but we are determined this year to change that. I think that if we can tackle that, a lot of good things can happen for our program this year,” Kleine said.
Cassville will travel to McDonald County for a jamboree on Aug. 24. The Lady Cats will open the season on Aug. 28 at the Branson Tournament.
“This year, I expect us to be able to compete. I think being senior-led will help that, but I also expect there to be a learning curve for our younger kids. I never like to say we should/will win a certain number of games because it’s premature, and at the end of the day, these are kids that are going to do the best they can,” Kleine said. “Ultimately, there is the expectation that the kids will compete and want to win, but all the kids in our program know that. They don’t make it to the varsity floor unless they are ready for that challenge.”
