Lady Eagles aiming to build off 2020 run

Last year, Holliday volleyball coach Wendy Parker said she thought they would surprise people.

There’s no sneaking up on anyone this year as the Lady Eagles garnered a preseason No. 3 state ranking after advancing to the regional finals before bowing out against eventual state champion Bushland.

Despite losing all-state performer Bree Zellers and Brittany James to graduation, Parker believes this year the team is set up to be better.

“I’m super excited. We lost two important people chemistry-wise from last year but we gained a lot of really good people too. Most of our team is intact from last year and we’ve got some really good talent coming up. I feel like we’re a little bit ahead of where we started last year so I feel like we should be able to improve quicker than we did last year which is what we need to do if we want to go further than we did last year.”

The Lady Eagles have a brutal 2021 non-district schedule with midweek games against the likes of Brock, Lindsay, Clyde and Peaster and tournaments against high-ranked teams in larger classifications.

“I got as many really tough matches as I could at the first and we’re in some tough tournaments,” Parker added. “I’m excited about that. Obviously we’d like to win, but I like to use it as an opportunity to experiment and put different people here and there and try out different lineups. I try to go into these tournaments with the mindset of trying to win but not at the expense of me getting to see the things that I need to see before district starts.”

Senior middle Payton Murray headlines a solid group of returners. Murray led the Lady Eagles in kills last season and was a wall in the middle, racking up 265 kills and 166 blocks.

“We’ve expanded Payton’s role,” Parker said. “We’re looking at her outside and in the middle so that she can hit a variety of sets and we can run her where we need her. Her game is growing that way. We’re trying to push her in that direction to where she can be as comfortable outside as she is in the middle. Her leadership role has really grown a lot. She’s stepped in and really accepted a lot of the senior roles and has done a really good job.”

Senior outside Skylar Rivers has made a smooth transition back to the front row after thriving in the libero role last season. According to Parker, Rivers played on the back row last season out of necessity and is an offensive weapon that will surprise opposition.

Senior libero Sarah Cowan moves into Rivers’ libero role after battling injuries through the early part of last season.

“Sarah needs to be the captain which she’s ready (to be). Last year, she had some injuries right at the first that kept her out of the libero role but once she was healed and came into the DS (defensive specialist) slot she did a great job. She should be able to slide right in and captain the back four like we need.”

Senior DS Caroline Case makes the move up to Cowan’s DS spot to help anchor the back line.

Perhaps the biggest key returners for the Lady Eagles come in the form of setters as Holliday returns juniors Belle Welch and Morgan Bodde after the duo ran the offense last season.

“It’s huge having both setters back,” Parker said. “Having young setters last year really didn’t hurt us. I think we may have started a little slower than we could’ve had they been a little older but I was asking a lot from them to go as fast as we went. Every time they rose to the occasion. This year is awesome knowing where we can go this year and even further next year. We’re trying to go up one notch from where we ended last year. I’m trying to push them outside their comfort zone a little bit. I’m excited to see where that can go.”

Welch (574 assists, 203 digs, 24 aces) and Bodde (384 assists, 45 aces, 105 digs) bring different skillsets when on the floor.

“Belle’s always been very defensive minded. She’s done really well defensively for us. Offensively, she’s got great hands. She can set the pin no matter where she’s at. She’s adjusting to the different hitters. She’s always very eager, asking what she can do to improve. She’s getting more comfortable in that role of trying to help the hitters.”

“Morgan’s height helps her. We can run some stuff with her that’s tight at the net because she’s a little taller. We’re working on her defense and trying to get her as defensively strong as we can. She’s doing a great job of mentoring the younger girls. I see and listen to her pull them over and talk to them. She does a great job with the hitters. She’s very mental and aware on the court.”

Junior outside Addison Lindemann brings her thunderous right arm over from the softball diamond to the hardwood in the fall. After earning Newcomer of the Year honors as a freshman, Lindemann picked up a first team all-district nod last season following a 233 kill, 20 ace campaign.

“Addi is super consistent and a power hitter. I feel really good with the rotation she’s in that if we need a point, we can send it to her. She plays really level all the time. She never gets too high or too low. She’s done a tremendous job on serve and defensively as well.”

Junior middle Katy Piper comes off the JV to fill James’ role from last season in the middle while junior Avery Cates has been a pleasant surprise through the early goings of the season.

“I’m very pleased with Avery. If we can fix her blocking form, she’s going to be a massive block for us. She gets way up there. We’ve just got to fix a few things and tweak a few things with her. The biggest thing is more varsity experience. She’s getting more and more comfortable with more experience.”

“I knew last year watching Katy that she would be able to come in and fill Brittany’s role right away. She’s come in and done a great job. She has a lot of variety. She brings a lot of consistency to that middle. That takes some of the pressure off Avery and gives her more time to grow. She’s improved so much from summer to now.”

Rounding out the projected rotation for the Lady Eagles is junior Campbell Jurecek.

“Campbell is doing great. We changed her form a little bit hitting-wise. She’s really reaching for the ball. She’s blocking well and moving well. Defensively she’s doing a lot better things this year than she did last year.”

Despite the key losses from last season, Parker can already sense this team is special.

“As loaded as I felt like we were last year, I feel like we’re even more loaded this year. It’s exciting. We just need to stay healthy and work on the chemistry. We’re super excited. It should be a great season but we know it’s going to take a lot of hard work. They’re not afraid to work.”