By Chris Parker
McDonald County volleyball won twice as many games last year (six) as it had in the previous two seasons combined. Expect that win total to grow even more this year with a strong group of eight seniors leading the Mustangs in 2020.
That senior group is headlined by returning all-conference selections Kaycee Factor (libero) and Erin Cooper (setter).
“Both Kaycee and Erin bring an immense amount of experience and leadership to our team. They are both gritty players who constantly hustle. Kaycee’s strong passing coupled with Erin’s accurate and dynamic setting puts our hitters in the position to put the ball away more, and that is what we have been working toward being able to do the past two years,” McDonald County head coach Logan Grab said. “As seniors, I expect them to continue being leaders on and off of the court. As a setter and libero, they are a part of nearly every play that happens, so having them at their best physically and mentally is crucial to our success as a team. While Kaycee and Erin are strong leaders for us, all of the seniors lead in their own way which makes this entire group even stronger.”
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The other six seniors returning for McDonald County include: Katelyn Ferdig (outside hitter), Sydnie Sanny (middle hitter), Shye Hardin (middle hitter), Rylee Bradley (outside hitter), Mollie Milleson (outside hitter), Jaimie Malone (defensive specialist).
Grab will focus on getting her team into good physical shape in preparation for playing best-of-five matches each night instead of the best-of-three format that Missouri has played up to this year.
“This is something we have been anticipating for a while, so it is good to know that the switch has been officially made. With many of our athletes having been off since March of 2020, it is critical that we get them in the best shape possible so we are prepared to perform during longer matches. We are looking forward to this change for our upcoming season,” Grab said.
McDonald County has all the pieces in place to take a big leap this season.
“With eight returning seniors, the expectations for this team are quite high. They have been committed to the McDonald County Volleyball since they were in junior high, and watching all of them together now as seniors is something special,” Grab said. “Their skill levels have developed with every passing season, and the amount of enthusiasm they have for the game is contagious. This year we are aiming to have at least a .500 season with additional conference wins and a better performance at districts.”
McDonald County opens the season on Aug. 31 at Gravette (Ark.).
