By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
A new face will patrol the sidelines for Fair Grove volleyball this season, as former assistant and player Dani Kepler takes over following longtime head coach Tonya Peck’s retirement.
Kepler, an Evangel graduate and Fair Grove alum, played for Peck from 2009-12. She has spent the past seven seasons developing as an Eagles assistant under the former coach’s mentorship.
Kepler’s rise has all the necessary components for a modern-day fairy tale but make no mistake – the shoes she’s fitting into are not of the glass-slipper variety.
In the past three seasons, alone, the Eagles have amassed a gaudy 106-3-6 record with back-to-back state titles. Its most recent run also featured a 41-0 undefeated season.
Peck’s footprint on the program is massive, and that’s before you take into consideration Fair Grove just graduated its most decorated senior class to date.
Four of those graduates – Brooke Daniels, Shea Skouby, Ashton Bell and Abbey Green – were all-state selections.
“The class of student-athletes that just graduated have proven to be the most decorated and successful class to play in the gym and on the fields of Fair Grove High School,” Kepler said. “This was a special class full of multi-sport athletes whose competitiveness out-shined most others. They leave a legacy of leadership who brought passion, competitiveness, and connection to the court.”
While Kepler has her work cut out for her, there is plenty of reason for optimism. She has a complete understanding of the program, learned first-hand from its architect and within a community such as Fair Grove – tradition never graduates.
It also never hurts to have a fifth all-state selection still on your roster, as well, as senior Sofee Garret returns to lead the Eagles this season.
Garret, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, received all-state, all-conference and all-district honors as a junior.
“Sofee Garret is the lone varsity starter returning for us this year,” Kepler said. “Among that stacked senior class, Sofee held her own, and her play was a key role in our success last season as a junior. She is a 6-rotation player who leads by example and has extraordinary fundamentals and ball control. She earned an impressive 290 kills last season out of 763 attempts. Sofee continues to grow her shot selection on the net and will be a go-to hitter for us this year. We look to her to take on more of a leadership role as well.”
With so many losses to graduation, Fair Grove will look to a host of varsity newcomers to step in and make immediate impacts including senior Hali Stokes, senior Kenna Fishback, senior Shayla Haddock, senior Addy Nunley, senior Leila Huff, junior Kynlee Peck, junior Brennyn Smith, junior Ahna Albers and sophomore McKenna Zanzie.
Kepler on Stokes – “Hali is not new to varsity play and made an impact to our program right away last year. She is a versatile front row player who will play middle for us this year. She is so athletic and is a difference maker at the net with her explosive energy. She is aggressive and stays active in each play. We will look to her to be a big part of our offense this year.”
Kepler on Fishback – “Kenna will be taking on a big role of running our offense this year as a 5-1 setter. She continues to grow and push herself in all aspects of this position. We will look to her to run a quick offense that plays to our strengths as a team.”
Kepler on Haddock – “Shayla is a versatile and aggressive front row player and a very fundamental back row player. We will look to have her play a pin position on the front row as well play defense for us.”
Kepler on Nunley and Huff – “Addy and Leila both own a defensive specialist position on the court. We will look to them to protect our court with their fundamental defense and their will to pursue the ball. They both lead so well from the back row with their constant communication and their will to get better every touch.”
Kepler on Peck – “Kynlee is our middle blocker who puts up a big block for us and acts as our first line of defense. She continues to grow her shot selection when attacking and still has such a high ceiling for growth.
Kepler on Smith, Albers and Zanzie – “Brennyn, Ahna and McKenna all have the opportunity to compete for varsity playing time this year. Their high fundamentals and consistent ball control help them stand out and allow them to play multiple positions on the court. They also have aggressive serves that benefit us.”
While it’s no small task replacing graduation losses, Kepler believes her squad is eager for the task at hand.
“There are big shoes to fill with graduating six of the seven varsity starters, but this group is ready for their moment to make a big impact on the varsity court,” Kepler said. “They have been preparing for this. They are capable of going far and making another postseason run with discipline and focus at the forefront.”
The Eagles rotation will look to Fishback and Garret to anchor the attack and keep opponents guessing.
“We plan to run a 5-1 rotation again this year with Kenna running our attack as the setter,” Kepler said. “Kenna continues to get quicker and build connections with her hitters. She pursues the second contact aggressively and looks to better the ball for her hitters.”
Kepler also believes Fair Grove will, once again, feature a diverse attack that will put pressure on defenders and keep the ball moving and unpredictable.
“We will continue to have several threats this year offensively,” Kepler said. “Being able to spread the ball around keeps the blockers on their toes and can open up more opportunities at the net. Ball control and placing an attack is key for our in system play. The front row players have worked at developing different shots to their attack toolbox.”
For Fair Grove to continue its longstanding tradition of success, its versatility and chemistry could end up making all the difference.
“Overall, this is a very versatile and fundamental group of volleyball players,” Kepler said. “They are all capable of playing multiple positions successfully. These girls are also very coachable and want to get better with every touch. They are great teammates who encourage and show grace but also hold each other accountable. They truly care about each other and are selfless with the belief that the team comes first.”
Following an Aug. 26 jamboree at Logan-Rogersville, Fair Grove opens its season Aug. 30 in the Branson Tournament.
