Central’s varsity volleyball team will lose 10 seniors after this year, all of whom have been critical players for the team in recent years. As the team wraps up a 16-16 campaign, the team will have to prepare for next season with an almost entirely new starting lineup.
“Experience is something we’re going to lose next year,” Head Coach Ariel Gass said. Among those departing will be Scout Vacek, who has played libero on varsity for all four years of her high school career and had 303 digs this season.
“It will be tough without an experienced and confident player like Scout,” Gass said.
Another player departing is middle blocker Tayah Perkins. Perkins has had a few years of varsity experience and led the team in blocks, with 46 this season. Tyra Jenkins, Central’s dynamic outside hitter who can play all six rotations, is also preparing to leave, having achieved 202 kills this season.
Senior defensive specialist Evalina Sain remarked that Jenkins has been a team leader. “She tries to make us more organized on the court, making sure we’re communicating,” Sain said. Gass said it will be hard to fill Jenkins’ role.
Gass is looking for next season’s varsity players to come in with confidence and take the lead. “This year the girls were really responsible with taking over how we fundraise and run events, which takes things off of my plate and allows me to help them get better,” she said.
As for upcoming players to watch for, Gass and Sain both mentioned freshman Scout Grummons, who is looking to succeed outgoing senior Maya Rodgers as the team’s setter. Grummons has practiced with varsity this year but hasn’t seen much time on the court.
“We’ve created an inclusive atmosphere where freshmen like her are engaging in varsity practices; it really adds to the team dynamic,” Sain said.
Getting Grummons in with the team and helping her build the feel of what varsity is like is critical to potential success, Gass said. It’s unclear if she will become the team’s setter, as Gass has yet to decide if she’s going to run a 6-2 or a 5-1 system next year, which depends on the number of hitters and setters.
Other players to look out for include freshmen Presley Vacek, a potential libero, and Eliza Stockman, as well as sophomore hitters Aibreann Conn and Renita Krajicek.
Krajicek says she’s excited about the future team.
“We will evolve a lot, but that’s fine because we’re like a family,” she said. She thinks she and her fellow underclassmen are ready to lead and are highly motivated to do so with the thought of being on varsity going through their minds. She also thinks they’re prepared to tackle the change in pace and length of the varsity game compared to lower levels.
As for all of the upcoming players, Sain believes they have a mutual passion for the game that will lead to cohesion in the future. She hopes they communicate and collaborate more than the current team has, and that they try and align their goals for further success.
Gass says the team will be doing extensive work in the offseason to prepare for the large changes. “We have to train our hitters to hit on the varsity level, we have to work on reaction times, we have to work on footwork.” Despite the actions that need to be taken, Gass says she’s been impressed with the skills already presented in the players.
“They have shown great commitment and willingness to learn, which is exactly what we need coming in with a new team,” Gass said. She even says that despite next year being a rebuilding year, the team will gain for two to three years after by already covering necessary skills and getting the players varsity experience.
“Next season will be tough, but we will see benefits for years to come from that,” Gass said.
