By Chris Parker
Mountain Grove will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back six win seasons behind a strong senior class. That group includes: Claire Felker (libero), Addy Welch (setter), Claire Nelson (middle), and Tory Thompson (right side).
“We have a solid senior class that will do a great job of leading our young girls. They’re competitive and will push the younger ones. (They) are ready to leave their mark on Mountain Grove volleyball and we are excited to see what the season has in store for us this year.” Mountain Grove head coach Ashley Martin said. “Addy will be running our offense this year. She’s incredibly smart on the floor and understands the game. Claire Felker will be our libero and has proven herself on the back row. I love her ability to stay cool and calm in tense situations. Claire Nelson will be a big block for us in the middle and is a great teammate that always makes sure everyone around her is being fed positivity. Tory is coming off of labrum surgery but her grit and determination has been an inspiring thing to watch. Every day she is pushing herself and making improvements. Her work ethic is one to admire and I’m sure it will do nothing but push everyone around her.”
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Junior Reagan Hoerning and sophomore Campbell Welch both earned all-conference honors last season. Hoerning, an outside hitter, is the team’s top returning hitter after she was second on the team with 133 kills last year. Welch, who is a strong defender and middle, was third on the team in kills with 88 while she led the team in aces (31), serve receptions (213) and digs (148).
Sophomore Jozey Macpherson will be playing a right side and outside role. She played in 34 varsity sets as a freshman.
Freshman Raylee Stenzel will make an immediate impact for the Lady Panthers.
“As a freshman, she (Stenzel) has more accolades than most. She has spent her summer playing beach volleyball, finishing in the top 10 at Nationals. To say we are excited to finally add her to our team would be an understatement,” Martin said. “(She) will be a six-rotation player for us. She’s young but doesn’t play like it, and is highly skilled in all areas and brings a fire to the team that will be just what we need.”
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Sophomore Kaley Wake will also see varsity action this year.
“Our biggest strength as a team this year will definitely be the desire to win and our overall competitive spirit that we have acquired this summer. We were just off last year. And it’s so exciting to think about what we could make happen this fall,” Martin said.
Mountain Grove volleyball opens the season on Aug. 30 at Fordland.
“Overall, I think we are capable of upsetting a lot of teams this season,” Martin said. “We have the skills. We just need the confidence and trust of one another to really break our boundaries that held us back last year. I’m excited to see where we end up in the fall.”
