By Chris Parker
Jasper volleyball is poised for big things coming off a 35-win season that saw the Lady Eagles come up one point short of advancing to the Class 1 final four.
They return an experienced and battle-tested group that is aiming for “one more” and the program’s first final four berth.
“Coming off of a 35-2-1 season our expectations are very high,” Jasper head coach Daniel Osborne said. “We have all of the pieces to put together a run to the state championships. Our theme this year is “One More”. Whether it is one more repetition of a drill, one more run of a play, or one more point to win a match, I want this team to be ready to give one more of whatever it takes to get us where we want to go.”
The experience and athleticism of this team will be hard to match in Class 1.
“The biggest strengths for our team this year will be our experience, balance and athleticism,” Jasper head coach Daniel Osborne said. “These athletes have had great coaching from elementary volleyball up to high school. They have also competed against schools from Class 1 to Class 5 in summer camps and regular season games. This comes together to make a strong team and program. They are also athletically talented with powerful serves, pounding attacks, strong blocks and solid passing.”
The most potent offensive duo in Class 1 leads the way in seniors Crystal Smith and Shiloh Storm.
Smith, who is a state champion on the track, put down 654 kills while hitting .418 on her way to her second consecutive all-state selection last season. She also led the team in serve receptions with 249 while finishing second in digs with 261.
“(Smith is a) natural athlete with a phenomenal ability to jump and hit the ball and is an intimidating blocker on the front row,” Osborne said. “(She) plays an all six position with incredible passing and hitting from the back row.”
The other part of that 1-2 punch is all-state setter Shiloh Storm who set up Smith and Jasper’s other hitters to the tune of 1,133 assists.
“(Storm is a) quiet but strong leader on the floor,” Osborne said. “(She) often goes unnoticed because she does her job so well, runs the offense very smoothly allowing hitters to be extremely successful.”
Senior Alyssa Osborne is the vocal leader of the team at defensive specialist. She is a force serving the ball with 73 total aces last season while serving 97.3%.
“(She is the) vocal leader on the floor who is always encouraging the team,” Coach Osborne said.
Emersyn Bass (outside hitter) and Addison Atnip (libero) round out the returning seniors.
Bass had 110 kills last season.
“(Bass is a) strong left-handed player who will also be serving for the first time in her varsity career,” Coach Osborne said. “(She) brings a lot of excitement and energy to the floor when she is playing.”
Atnip had 219 serve receptions and 196 digs last season.
“(Atnip is a) strong defensive player who reads servers and hitters very well,” Coach Osborne said. “(She) brings a lot of energy to the floor as a vocal leader.”
Juniors Alivea Roberts (outside hitter) and Chloe Storm (middle hitter) round out the returning players.
Nadia Morga (senior defense specialist), Aspen Lehman (junior outside hitter), Haidyn Ohmart (junior middle/outside hitter), Lexi Rice (junior setter/outside hitter), Kylie Helms (junior defensive specialist) and Abbie Pierce (junior outside hitter) are newcomers to watch.
While Jasper has all of the experience and athleticism a coach could ask for, Osborne will be looking to more mental toughness this season.
“The area our team needs to improve in order to be successful is our mental toughness,” Coach Osborne said. “We have to be able to go against weaker teams and not play down to them but also play stronger teams and not be intimidated or get frustrated when problems occur. We also need to improve our ability to finish in big game situations. When given the opportunity to finish a match, we need the mindset to put it away immediately.”
Jasper will host Sheldon, Thomas Jefferson and McAuley Catholic for a jamboree on Aug. 29. The season opener is Sept. 3 at Golden City.
“The overall expectations for this season are to make it to state and win a conference championship,” Coach Osborne said. “Last season the team missed the Final Four by one point. That result has really motivated the team to work hard and get back to the State Quarterfinals and then on to the Final Four. Last season the team finished second in the WEMO Conference and is excited to begin the journey to this season’s conference title.”
