Lady Tigers ready to play

Friday, August 24, 2012
Nevada senior Regan Kennedy goes for a kill during volleyball practice this week. .

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

After a disappointing 1-6 start in 2011 the Nevada Lady Tigers volleyball team turned their season around and finished with respectable 22-10-2 record.

"We had a great season last year, and I hope we keep things going," Lady Tigers head coach Ashley Thoreson said.

She said the players have been working hard all summer and are ready play.

The Lady Tigers open their 2012 season on the road Monday, with the Carthage Tigers.

"They're one of the more competitive teams we'll face until districts," Thoreson said.

She said they lost to Carthage this summer, in the finals of a shoot-out at Carthage.

"They'll be a good match-up to see where we are," she said.

Thoreson said she has five returning starters from last year: seniors Brooke Munsterman, Regan Kannady and Sharla Quick; and juniors Morgan McNeley and Rilie Good.

"With everyone coming back, we've been able to speed up our offense. The key for us will be the big girls in the middle," she said.

Not many high school teams have two starters like Regan Kannady and Rilie Good, who are each about 6 feet tall, she said.

However, because of graduation, injuries and players who decided to not play this year, Thoreson said they have had to put players in positions with which they are not familiar.

Morgan McNeley, who was an outside hitter last year, is moving to being a setter.

And with Marisa Hughes' graduation, they have had to find a replacement for her at libero and numerous other roles. They will struggle for a while until everyone becomes familiar with their responsibilities, Thoreson said.

"Last year we relied on her to play everything. We'll need a lot of people to step up in the back row," she said.

Thoreson said that junior Bree Reppert, who is very vocal and a good passerm will do a good job at libero this year.

"Being vocal on the court is something we'll need out of her," she said.

And when sophomore Mikayla Bartlett is cleared from her knee surgery to play, Thoreson said Bartlett will be joining the rest varsity on the court.

Thoreson said that if they can keep good ball control and use the big hitters in the middle, they will be a very hard team for opponents to read with all the hitting options they will have.

The Lady Tigers open their six game home season Thursday, Aug. 30 against Harrisonville.

"We hope to have a good crowd," she said, adding that they will have the use of all the bleachers this year.

The Lady Tigers other home matches include: Sept. 6, Liberal; Sept. 13, Webb City; Sept. 27, El Dorado Springs; Oct. 4, McDonald County and Oct. 9, Girard.

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