Marion volleyball sets for title run

Team wants third league crown in as many years

By JASON TIDD

Staff writer

The confidence of two straight league titles, the experience of six seniors, and the determination of the players will lead the Lady Warriors into a new season.

Coach Brea Campbell’s volleyball team is coming off a league tournament title and a 28-11 season that ended in a substate loss to Silver Lake, the eventual state champion.

“We want to win league again,” Campbell said. “We won league undefeated the last two years. We’ve won the league tournament the last two years.

“The ultimate goal is to go to state, because this team hasn’t been to state in a long time.”

Campbell said the season’s first practices show an even stronger team than last year’s.

“The first three days of practice this year were so much better than they have been the past two years,” she said. “They’ve come in here and just worked their tail ends off.”

Senior Kourtney Hansen and sophomore Chloe Burkholder will be the top setters. Hansen will join seniors Jessi Lewman, Bailey Baker, and Alli Molleker, and juniors Tori Shults and Corrina Crabb as the top hitters.

“Kourtney Hansen’s a great server,” Campbell said. “We have been kind of conditioning her to forget about missed serves and think more about aggression. Probably the most reliable server is Bailey Baker. She has a killer floater.”

Sam Richmond and Courtney Herzet will lead on defense.

“They are kind of fighting for the libero spot right now, but they’re both going to be on the court because they’re defensive players and that’s what I need. They’re both very aggressive and they are very eager to learn something new.”

Six seniors return on a squad of 25.

“They’re going to be huge for me this year,” Campbell said. “I’m pretty excited because this is the first senior class that I will be using every single senior during the match.”

This is Campbell’s third season at the helm. Her team posted a 33-4 record in her first year.

While she said every aspect of play needs improvement, communication is the key.

“You can always be louder, you can always communicate more with your players, on my part, and with each other on the court,” she said.

“A lot of my yelling is because they’re not communicating.”

Communication between hitters and setters helps run the offense.

“Hitters have got to call out the type of hit they want, the setters have to communicate as to what ball they can actually get to,” she said. “Another reason is just to keep the morale of the team up.”

Campbell is confident in her players and in a successful season.

“These girls are very competitive,” she said. “If they put their mind to something, they can do it.”

“Come watch us,” Campbell said. “We’re going to put on a good show.”