By Chris Parker
Mansfield volleyball enters its third season since the program’s revival after a 20-year break. The Lady Lions won nine matches a year ago and six in the first year back.
Four players in Madison Hanger (senior OH/L), Kyra Thompson (senior setter), Haven Tripp (junior MB) and Ali Robertson (junior DS) all return with two years of varsity experience.
Mansfield head coach Emily Smith on Hanger: “Hanger wore the libero jersey for us two years ago, but we had a need to put her as an outside hitter last season. This year we may see her in a different jersey depending on our opponent. Hanger brings energy and life to our back row, and she led our team last season in aces. She’s going to have to adapt to different roles this year and as needed, but she will, I have faith in that.”
Smith on Thompson: “Thompson has a drive to learn and get better every single practice. She will take on most of the leadership; Thompson has earned the respect from her teammates making her our go-to setter this season. She has a love for the game and a disciplined nature about her that makes her a threat.”
Smith on Tripp: “Tripp will be a key component this season for our offense. She’s a super athlete that can play all six rotations; we will look to her for the majority of our attacks. She’s made huge strides each season that volleyball has been back to Mansfield. As a coach, I’m excited to see what she has in store for her junior year.”
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Smith on Robertson: “Robertson has one of the strongest serves of the squad, and it will be utilized this season early in the lineup. She has worked hard the last two seasons on moving her feet to the ball and her court vision; it’ll be neat to see what she brings this season.”
Addison Black (senior OPP), Laikyn Ball (junior OH) and Makayla Langley (senior OH) all saw varsity action last season. They will see expanded roles this season.
Black will be the second setter on the on the floor.
“Addison Black will be our second setter on the floor, opposite of Thompson,” Smith said. “She has great hands and strength to push the ball anywhere. I’d like to see her become a little more aggressive and look to score this season.”
Ball and Langley will be handling the left side of the court.
“Ball and Langley will be in charge of covering the left side of the court. They are both petite in stature but offer big verticals,” Smith said. “Ball primarily played back row in years past for the varsity team, but will be pulled into all six spots this year. She has a determination about her that makes me excited to push her to a higher limit. Langley controlled most of the JV OH positions last year and will be asked to take huge strides in her defensive game stepping up to the varsity level. She can literally hit the ball anywhere offensively; we will be working on control and power in pre-season along with lots of passing.”
Junior Cali Lemons (MB) will be a newcomer to the varsity lineup.
“Lemons didn’t play in the first season of the program’s return, but joined us last year in year two,” Smith said. “She has a ton of basketball background, and you can see it in her play, but it works for her. She plays high above the net and has a competitor’s mindset. She shows up to score and win. She’s going to need to rely on her strengths this season and push herself as a volleyball player to help us win games.”
The Mansfield volleyball program is still young, but gaining experience.
“A strength we have coming into season is all of our experienced players. In the past couple seasons, we have played multiple players in different roles and tried new things, and that’s going to be key this year after losing a great group of seniors last year. We said good-bye to four incredible athletes; Lauren Jones and Harleigh Hodges are playing basketball at the next level and Chloe Lemons and Sadee Greene brought fun and spunk to our games/practices,” Smith said. “Since the program is still new, we work daily on trusting and communicating to one another in our roles on the court. The players are getting better about feeling comfortable in the defense, but still need improvements on flowing from one rally to the next without a hiccup.”
Mansfield opens the regular season on Aug. 28 at home against Plato.
“Year One the program was 6-24-1. Year Two our record was 9-16-1. This year’s expectation is to work hard every game and earn more wins,” Smith said. “As a coach, I’d like to see the athletes compete each game, scrimmage, and practice and get our win total into double digits or around .500 this season. I believe we can do this by being all together, all the time.”
