Fall 2019 Preview: Purdy Volleyball

By Chris Parker

Purdy volleyball struggled in its first season as a member of the SWCL winning just two matches in 2018.

“The challenges presented by joining the SWCL were the ones we expected. A high level of volleyball, strong competition, and a bit more travel,” Purdy head coach Ashley Brown said.

Last year is in the past as Purdy looks forward to a new season.

“For us, every year is a fresh start. Whether we’ve won a district title or had a year of rebuilding, the past gives us something to learn from but not to hang our hats (or dwell) on. I think for me what I’ve seen this summer is an entirely new dynamic. This group brings a lot of energy and they’ve been in the gym working hard to move forward,” Brown said.

Kylie Wood (outside hitter/middle), Kinsley Mattingly (middle), Bre Perkins (outside hitter/setter), Bayleigh Robbins (setter), Payton Crumpler (outside hitter) and Shadyn Minton (libero/defensive specialist) all return to the varsity lineup for Purdy.

Annabelle Bowman (middle/right side), Lisa Lee (libero/defensive specialist), Areli Garcia (outside hitter/right side) and Soledad Salas (right side) are new players in the varsity mix.

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“I think our biggest strength this year will be our versatility. We don’t have any six-foot kids. We’ve got kids who have set for me that are going to hit this year, kids that have hit for me that are going to set, middles who may transition to right, etc. We are looking for that combination that works best on the floor and plays for each other. I’m not worried about who are my ‘middles’ right now and that’s honestly kind of a nice thing. Training positions is important but being able to train complete players is more of the direction I like to lean anyway and it will set us up to do some fun things this year,” Brown said.

Overall, Brown is not altering her expectations for this team versus any other year.

“Expectations stay the same for me year in and year out. Outcomes, talent levels, team chemistry change from year to year but my expectations will remain high; compete at a high level, play with heart, play for each other,” Brown said.

Purdy will host a jamboree on Aug. 27 with Cassville, Hurley and Southwest. The Lady Eagles will open the regular season on Aug. 30 at home against Niangua.