By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Over the past eight seasons, Strafford Volleyball has been nothing short of spectacular.
The Indians captured six district titles in seven years and recorded two second-place finishes in the Class 3 state tournament.
Last year featured more of the same, as Strafford (30-4-3) rolled to another runner-up finish in the state tournament, falling to Blair Oaks in the championship match.
For head coach Ashley Bough, entering her 10th season at the helm, the experience was one to cherish.
“There were so many highlights to last year’s season that we will forever remember as a team and program,” Bough said. “Walking into the gym in Cape and watching the girls play, I knew this group was something special. Even though the experience in the championship was not what we intended or planned, we had so much more to be proud of this year.”
A trio of graduates depart the program in Taitum Becker, Emma Mullings and Christa Duffel.
Mullings and Duffel each received all-state honors, and both will continue their athletic careers at Evangel University (basketball) and College of the Ozarks, respectively.
“Our senior class this year set the standard on and off the court from the moment they entered our program,” Bough said. “Each one of them brought something different to our team and without each of them, we would not have been as successful.”
Despite the graduation losses, the Strafford cupboard is far from barren, as senior setter Abby Chadwell returns to lead the attack this season.
Chadwell received all-state honors in 2021.
“Abby is going to be an integral part of our team this year running our offense again as she is a phenomenal setter and athlete, in general,” Bough said. “She has had three years of experience running the offense with a lot of returning attackers, so we are looking forward to seeing what they will accomplish this year.”
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Classmates Ashley Suter (right side) and Sophia Frerking (middle blocker) also return for the Indians.
“Ashley stepped into her role this year as a right side on varsity after a great off season and a lot of work,” Bough said. “She was a huge part of our success these past few seasons and will be a huge contributor on the court no matter what position she returns in.
“Sophia has developed her game so much over the last two seasons. She will be an impact player this season, and we are looking forward to huge contributions from her as a leader on the floor.”
The senior trio will be joined by a pair of returning outside hitters in junior Mya Highfill and sophomore Halle Forester.
“Mya played last season as an outside hitter and did a great job both offensively and defensively,” Bough said. “She brings a love for the game and quickness that will help her to contribute to the team even more this season.
“Halle brings with her a lot of court and sand experience, ball control and most importantly, a desire to compete and help those around her. She has amazing ball control and a lot of fight. We look for her to do big things this year.”
Several new faces will compete for varsity playing time and hope to make an impact, as well, including Sophia Venosdel (SO, MB/OH), Gracelynn Ford (SO, OH), Aubrey Suter (SO, RS), and Natalie Gannon (JR, DS/RS).
“We return a lot of our offense this season which is exciting,” Bough said. “We also return players who played on the court last year and feel like they want to continue the tradition they have worked to build at Strafford. They are extremely motivated and determined to ensure a different outcome at the end of season.”
Blessed with both depth and talent, Bough will once again strive to incorporate a multidimensional approach to Strafford’s attack to keep opposing teams off balance and out of system.
“We want to consistently put our best product out on the court each game,” Bough said. “More importantly, we want to be a team that is versatile and can make adjustments effectively and efficiently in order to be competitive each opportunity.”
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That versatility starts with Chadwell. The all-state setter’s consistency, quickness and game I.Q. allow her to run Strafford’s dynamic offense and exploit multiple spots on the floor, according to Bough.
“We are going to really work on spreading out our offense this season and developing our attackers in every position to be big contributors,” Bough said. “Our middle attackers were a key part of our offense last season, and we had the components and ball control to make that happen.”
With a host of new faces in new roles this season, Bough believes there will be an adjustment period early in the season as players become accustomed to and understand Strafford’s system.
“Each year I say this but it is true… we lost a great group of leaders the last few years that brought consistent ball control, tough defense and that competitive edge,” Bough said. “Our team has been working this off-season on maintaining all of these things but it naturally takes time. This group of seniors are determined to leave a legacy similar to those before them, so they are excited to get started and improve in August.”
Following jamboree play at Central Aug. 24, Strafford opens its season Aug. 27 in the Branson Invitational Tournament.
