Ozark volleyball has its eyes set on another trip to the Final Four – to do that, they’re going to rely heavily on all-state returner Tara Venable. She’s a monster on the floor, but the exact opposite off it.
Venable is as versatile and talented a volleyball player as you’ll find in the Ozarks.
“She can hit, she can pass, she can play defense, she can set if she needs to, she can block, and I think she does that at an incredibly high level,” Ozark head coach Adeana Chrestman said.
The Ozark senior is following her coaches’ footsteps and taking her talent to Missouri State, but she’ll be playing sand rather than indoor.
“It is the first beach volleyball player that has come through this program and been able to play division one beach volleyball. You have to be smart and you have to be extremely aggressive and confident, and she has those key pieces,” Chrestman said.
She’s staying home because that’s where family is.
“I really liked Missouri State because all of my family has gone there, I have little sisters here, and I want to watch them grow up, which is a big factor why I wanted to stay home,” Venable said.
And it was her family that encouraged her to play in the first place.
“I didn’t want to play volleyball, but my parents pushed me to do it, and I’m glad they did because if they hadn’t pushed me to do it, I would have never been the player I am today,” Venable said. “I went to some big tournaments and saw other good players playing, and I was like ‘Wow, I want to be good,’ and it kind of happened overnight.”
The work she’s put in doesn’t happen overnight. She’s a machine on the court, but she never loses her empathy
“She just really elevates everyone else, but she comes from everything she does is caring about other people while being the best volleyball player she can,” Chrestman said.
She’s finding her voice on the court, leading as a senior, she says the team is as locked in as it’s ever been. For her individually – a player that’s been a huge piece for the Tigers since her freshman year – her senior season could set a new standard at Ozark
“I didn’t know that she could be any better, but she’s already better. She’s just really bought in; she’s going to make the most of this last opportunity,” Chrestman said.
