(This article first appeared in the October print edition of the Hendersonian.)
On Sept. 16, the Henderson County volleyball team defeated district rival Union County, 3-0, to secure its 15th win of the season. This matched their win total from all of last season, with 13 matches still to play, not counting the postseason.
It has been an astounding turnaround for Coach Kelli Harris and her team in her second year at the helm. The key to their winning ways is no secret. Nearly every player pointed to their team chemistry as the foundation for success.
“I think a lot of our preseason team bonding and our mindfulness, focusing on our team culture and being a team rather than good individuals has brought us a really long way,” said senior Ella Whitledge.
The mindfulness program that Harris implemented at the beginning of the season appears to be paying dividends. The Lady Cols are more confident and resilient on the court. They maintain a positive mindset and do not allow mistakes to turn into major issues on the floor.
“There’s been matches and sets that we’ve been down and we’ve come back and won. Those are the kind of things that didn’t happen last year,” said Harris of the mindfulness training. “They’re not giving up on each other, so I feel like that’s been a positive.”
Senior setter Kamryn Raley agreed and talked about how important mental health was for her and her teammates, saying that it “helps them get through hard times during games and practices.”
The Lady Cols were 17-4 at the time this article was written, including a 10-game winning streak. HCHS also boasted an undefeated record in district and region play.
Crediting all the team’s success to a great culture would be shortsighted, however, as the team has no scarcity of talent and experience on its roster.
Henderson County has a mainly nine-player rotation consisting of seniors, juniors and one sophomore. Senior Caeson Hargitt put it best calling her team’s talent “evenly distributed” in a way that allows for no major weaknesses.
“We’ve been putting in the time. The girls are focused on working together as a team, so I really attribute a lot of it to them in general,” Harris said. “They’re talented kids and that helps out a great deal.”
The Lady Cols blockers and hitters have been killing it on the court, pun intended. Junior Evangeline Loffland leads the team with 187 kills and now has over 500 for her career. Senior Kylee Lyons and sophomore Emmy Sword are not far behind with 147 and 141 kills, respectively. Hargitt rounds out the fierce foursome with 102 of her own.
The youngster, Sword, has been putting together a fantastic all-around season as she also has the second-most digs at 315. Her team-leading 69 aces were good for third most in the state when KHSAA released their first stats leader report on Sept. 22.
Sword, who hopes to play in college, said she only started playing in seventh grade and attributes her success to her hard work in practice and on her own time.
When it comes to putting in work, it’s tough to argue that anyone goes as hard as Whitledge, the team’s libero. She routinely puts on a masterclass in defense, with a team-high 434 digs. She was third in the state, averaging seven digs per set, on the first statewide stats report. Earlier this season, she collected her 1,000th career dig.
Whitledge enjoys being a leader by example and relishes her role as a member of the team’s captain’s council. She is joined by fellow seniors Raley, Hargitt, Gabby Melvin and Lilly Payne.
The council allows for the responsibilities of leadership to be shared and gives players an opportunity to resolve issues before they need to be escalated to Harris. It has been another factor in what has allowed the team to bond so closely.
Junior setter Addi Kirtley, for one, appreciates what the captain’s council brings to the program.
“It’s definitely been really helpful because it delegates things a lot better,” said Kirtley. “It makes everything a lot more organized. I think it definitely takes a lot of stress off the coaches, too.”
As the Lady Cols hit the home stretch of their schedule, there’s no doubt that last year’s loss in the district championship left a sour taste in their mouths. While they are still taking things one match at a time, the outlook for the rest of the season is beginning to materialize.
“[Coach Harris] wants us to win. She wants us to have a successful season for our senior year,” said the senior Lyons. “We’re working together well. I think we’re going to make it past region and district, so I’m hoping for that.”
