By Chris Parker
Neosho volleyball will rely on the senior quartet of Jayley Ackerson (DS/L), Whitney Kivett (S/OPP), Avery Long (DS/L) and Miranda Wennhold (OH/OPP) to lead the way this year. The Wildcats will be looking to improve on last season’s nine-win campaign.
“I have four seniors returning for the upcoming season,” Neosho head coach Jessica Walton said. “They will play a huge role in the culture and drive of this team. I have had the opportunity to coach these girls since their sophomore year and they have had to take on multiple roles and have worked extremely hard to succeed in those positions.”
Rylyn Moritz (junior OH), Maddy Olson (junior OH), Stella Barratt (junior DS/L), Emma Brown (junior DS/L), Audrey Sims (junior setter) and Jazmyn Washington (sophomore MB) are all players who had strong JV seasons last year and will move up to varsity this year.
“(They) will all have opportunities on varsity this year,” Walton said. “They have all taken on big responsibilities and strived to produce. Rylyn and Maddy have worked extremely hard this year in the outside hitter position, and it has been fun to watch them develop this summer.”
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There is also a deep freshman class that is the future of the program.
“We have a large freshman group that I am excited about,” Walton said. “We are growing in numbers and to be able to now have a strong core freshman group to develop is exciting and promising for the future of Neosho Volleyball.”
Size in the middle will be a source of strength for Neosho volleyball.
“This year our middles will have a huge impact on our success,” Walton said. “We have two new middles this year and are working on trying to take advantage of their height and strength. We also have a decent pool of defensive specialists so having that depth will help keep our defense accountable.”
Neosho opens the season on Aug. 26 at the Nevada Tournament.
“I am really looking forward to seeing this junior and sophomore class take on varsity,” Walton said. “My seniors have set a good example, and I’m curious to see what all they will accomplish this season. My junior class is pretty large and have been playing together consistently. My JV was able to grab COC wins last season so bringing that up to the varsity level will be exciting.”
