The McClain Lady Tiger volleyball team wants to stay focused on its goals and play tough to get where it wants to be the 2019 season.
Coach Taylor Alsop is in her third season as varsity coach. Her team went 10-13 overall and 4-6 in the Frontier Athletic Conference a year, good for a fourth place finish.
The Tigers have five starters returning and six returning letter winners. Top returners are Cierra Bolender — 40 aces, 113 kills, and 31 solo blocks; Kaleigh Easter — 24 aces, 441 assists and 158 digs; Ashley Hardesty — 21 aces, 247 serve receptions and 153 digs; Jaelyn Pitzer — 63 aces, 176 kills, 237 serve receptions, 211 digs, first-team All -FAC and honorable mention all-district.
“Maddy Crawford and Iva Easter are going to be newcomers that both played for me last year, but have stepped up a lot this year, Alsop said. “Cierra Bolender and Kaleigh Easter will be team captains this year. Cierra has been with our varsity team for three years now and knows how to run the team. She’s able to maintain her composure and lead the team. Kaleigh is one of those players who holds the team together.”
Kaleigh Easter is looking at a big milestone as she goes for 1,000 assists. She is sitting at 441 assists right now.
Alsop said her team’s strength is that all the girls played varsity so they are comfortable in different situations at the varsity level.
“Our biggest thing right now is learning to play together,” she said. “We have a group that can all play, nobody spends a lot of time on the bench. The girls get along great. It’s just learning how each other plays.”
Reach Tate Erkenbrecher at 937-402-2572.
