Rebuilding year for Madden’s Farragut volleyball team?
It looks to be a rebuilding year for Farragut High School’s volleyball team because of heavy losses from last year.
However, third-year head coach Jo Madden is expecting big things from her girls.
“I’m very excited about the new season,” Madden said. “We have a lot of young girls who are eager and ready to learn. I’m excited to see what my senior McKenzie Turner’s gonna do. We’re expecting a lot of power from her this season.”
Turner, a 6-foot senior captain who plays outside or middle hitter, will anchor the Lady Admirals’ offense. Trying to set her up for a kill will dominate their offensive set.
“This season is going to be a great one,” Turner said. “Our team has already grown so much since preseason workouts, and I’m excited to see where our progress takes us. I’m ready to get out there ...”
“She can hit anywhere in the front row,” Madden said. “She’s our big person that’s gonna have kills. She’s a powerhouse.”
Most Turner kills likely will come from passes made by sophomore setter Tori McNair, who was named Freshman of the Year last season in District 4-AAA.
“She’s a phenomenal setter,” Madden said of McNair. “She ran our 5-1 last year. She’s coming back this year to run our 5-1. She’s one of the best setters around here.”
The term “5-1” references having only one setter on the floor at a time among the six total players. Some rotations have two setters.
Turner will have help down low from senior Madie Neeley, a middle hitter. Sophomore Elsa Morrison, a transfer from Indiana, will complete Farragut’s troika of hitters. “We’re expecting her to come in and bring a lot of power also,” Madden said of Morrison.
The Lady Admirals’ libero will be junior returning starter Avery Mandl. The libero is a defensive specialist, often being the first to receive a hitter’s attack. Digs and dives are this player’s specialty.
“She does a great job of communicating from the back row,” Madden said of Mandl. “You have to know where your players are on the court, and she does a good job of that.”
Rounding out the starters for Farragut will be defensive specialist Addison Owen.
“She’s quick, and she reads, and she’s very coachable,” Madden said about the freshman.
The Lady Admirals skipper has 14 girls on her team. Those most likely to see action who aren’t starters are freshman defensive specialist Teagan Williams and sophomore outside hitter Loryn Neely, sister of Madie.
“Our first line is defense this year, making sure our passers can get the ball to the setter,” Madden said. “This year more so because we’re a younger team, and in the past we’ve had strong defensive players.
“This year in practice we’ve focused on getting stronger defensively,” she added.
Last year, the Lady Admirals finished 18-10 (3-3 in district) and lost to Hardin Valley Academy in the district tournament.
“We have great talent,” assistant coach Jessica Amori said. “They’re very coachable and hard-working.”
