Charger Sports

Volleyball girls spike competition as season begins

Kristie Powell, Charger Staff

There have been many changes for the 2002 volleyball season. These include the hiring of head coach Sharon Bilbrey and assistant head coach Andrea Stewart and the loss of three starting seniors and other talented players. With the return of only two starters, this has been a rebuilding year. Even with their little experience, the team has a lot of talent, and, if playing to their potential, they are one of the best teams in the state.
The main goal for the season is coming together as a team.

“At the beginning of the year we were all yelling at each other and worrying about ourselves, but now we are more focused on the good of the team,” says junior Dani Green.

It all came together when they were on their way home and Coach Bilbrey made them write down their thoughts for the season and their teammates.

Macey Denney, “It made everything fall into perspective. It didn’t matter if we won or lost; it only mattered that we loved our teammates.“

Coach Bilbrey agrees. “We have a great group of girls on this team. Erica McDonald is a great team leader. All the other girls, especially the freshmen, look up to her.

Jennifer Skimmyhorn is a great sport and is always there for her team. Macey Denney and Dani Green are two other team leaders. They both talk a lot and always know what’s going on during the game. Amy Byrne and Barbie Sanders always go up to the net swinging, and have the hardest hits on the team. Rachel Burks is our utility player. Orianna Knowlton is our comic relief to the team. She is always there to make her teammates smile when they make a mistake.

Our three sophomores, Joanna Slagle, Jessica Ashburn, and Kayla Powell, are going to be key assets to our team next year.”

She also included that the freshmen have greatly improved over the summer. Setter Hillary Valdez is going to be a future key. Ashley Bryant, Nikki Fox, Megan Childers, and many others, were also complimented on their play. “During conditioning, I believe all of us on varsity were ready to kill some freshmen, but now we’re like one happy family,” adds junior Orianna Knowlton.

After the teams’s mediocre season play, we will soon see if their hard work has paid off at the district tournament held in Riverdale.

“Everything that happened during the season is history, districts is where it counts,” says senior captain McDonald.

Until then let’s support our volleyball team as they work for their high seed for the district tournament at Riverdale.

Article prepared for web by Joy Wheeler