By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Joplin will be under new leadership this fall with former Webb City and Carl Junction assistant Desiree Felker taking over the program.
Felker – who was a standout at Carl Junction from 06-09 – was a two-time All-Big selection and won two district championships playing for Sarah Wall.
This will be Felker’s second head coaching stint after spending one season at Seneca.
“I was seriously considering getting back into head coaching, so when the job opened I just decided to go for it,” said Felker. “I knew a lot of the players from coaching against them and club volleyball. I knew they worked hard, and their fire and passion for the game were very similar to mine. Throughout the interview process I felt at home and comfortable.”
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Felker inherits a team that saw several players receive significant playing time last season.
Senior Allie Lawrence tallied 142 kills last season as an OH. Angelina Schramm added 105 kills, while classmate Kacy Coss chipped in 76.
Emma Floyd – another senior – totaled 61 kills and a team-high 33 blocks.
“They work extremely hard and push the intensity in practice, and they work to positively impact the play whenever they are on the court,” said Felker. “Junior Paisley Parker also saw significant varsity time last year as a DS, and her positive attitude, and work ethic can instantly change a game.”
Seniors Logan Bruggeman and Sydney Walker will look to contribute this year. Juniors Abby Edwards, Abby Hembree, Jayla Hunter, Kaya Cooper, and Serafina Auberry could all see time as well.
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Sophomore Bailey Owens has had a great summer and she is expected to play a large role as the season progresses.
“We have a lot of depth in the gym and we have about 12 or 13 girls that could see playing time throughout the season,” said Felker.
While Felker is no stranger to winning, Joplin hasn’t claimed a district championship in more than a decade, and has been above .500 just once in the last seven seasons.
Her experience in the COC will be helpful as the Lady Eagles will look to compete for conference and district championships, but one major hurdle to navigate will be changing the culture of a program that hasn’t seen significant success recently.
“One of the most important things about taking a new program is getting buy-in from your players and assistant coaches, but also building relationships with your kids,” said Felker. “I met with the seniors in May and we talked about their goals for Joplin Volleyball and the goals the coaching staff had as well. We set high expectations and these young women accepted the challenge worked hard all summer, in the weight room and in the gym, to continually raise the bar.
“We have to learn to play with confidence and maintain our composure when things don’t go our way. All of the pieces are there, we just have to put it all together.”
Joplin will jamboree at Carthage with Aurora and Nevada. The Lady Eagles will open the 2021 COC season on Aug. 31 by hosting Rogers Heritage (Ark.).
