Life on the volleyball court was a little less complex for Center Grove setter Madison Hammill a year ago.
When the Trojans needed a big point, Hammill was likely going to send the ball in the direction of either Ellen LeMasters or Emma Jones.
Both of those options proved to be reliable ones — that tandem combined for 779 kills last season, more than half of the Trojans’ team total. But with LeMasters and Jones both now playing college volleyball, Hammill will have to find other players to rely on in those key moments.
Will there end up being one star that emerges, or will the void be filled by committee? That’s a question that no one really has the answer to just yet.
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“I think we’re going to have, all around, a lot of depth in the front row, but I don’t know if we’re necessarily going to have a go-to hitter right away,” new Center Grove coach Chris Due said.
Junior Anna Line ranked tops among returning players with 209 kills last season, so she’s certainly a leading possibility, and classmate Calista Stafford (94 kills in 2017) has also shown flashes of potential over her two varsity seasons.
“She’s had a great summer,” Due said of Stafford. “She can hit it both outside and right side, so I’m hoping she continues to step up the way she has.”
Among the top prospects to fill the void left by Jones in the middle is sophomore Grace Boggess, who saw very little varsity action last fall (12 kills and 34 blocks in 13 sets) but has already accepted a scholarship offer from Butler.
Hammill, who is verbally committed to Wisconsin, is actually looking forward to having a more diverse arsenal at her disposal. Instead of leaning heavily on LeMasters in crunch time, the junior believes that she’ll now be able to send the ball in any direction.
“Everybody has to know that their role is extremely important and not feeling lesser in any aspect,” Hammill said. “Just knowing that we have to work even harder to take what some people see as a disadvantage and use it to our advantage.
“Instead of relying on one hitter, we’ll definitely be spreading it out a lot more and just trusting everybody on the court.”
That element of surprise could prove beneficial, but there are still drawbacks that come with not having a proven Division I-caliber hammer up front to finish points off in those must-get situations.
One possible remedy, Due says, is consistency. The Trojans have a veteran group of defensive specialists on the back row, so avoiding unforced errors might end up being the hitters’ primary focus.
“Consistency is what we’re really looking for,” Due said. “For kids not to end plays, but to prolong rallies. Having our back row and (Hammill), I think if we continue those rallies and prolong them, it’ll go well for us.”
And if a go-to girl does emerge over the course of the season, that’ll just be a bonus.
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A look at Johnson County’s high school volleyball teams:
Center Grove Trojans
Coach: Chris Due
Last season: 31-6; lost to Providence in Class 4A regional final
Key returnees: Gracie Gasper and Santina Schembra, seniors; Averie Baker, Jada Beetz, Ashley Eck, Madison Hammill, Anna Line and Calista Stafford, juniors; Grace Boggess and Jenna Otto, sophomores
Top newcomers: Olivia Clouse, senior; Lindsey Howard and Reagan Thomas, juniors
Outlook: Former Franklin coach Due inherits a deep roster with experience, especially on the back row, as well as one of the nation’s top setters in Hammill. The big challenge for the Trojans will be finding some players up front that can consistently put balls away. Line and Stafford, both in their third varsity season, and Boggess are the most likely candidates to fill those roles. Center Grove remains the favorite locally until someone proves otherwise.
Edinburgh Lancers
Coach: Tina Bottorff
Last season: 9-23; lost to Trinity Lutheran in Class A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Emily Chappelow and Paige Burton, juniors; Grace Long and Kaylee Swallows, sophomores
Top newcomers: Angel Carman, Chloe Clark and Carly Cowan, freshmen
Outlook: The Lancers sustained some heavy personnel losses and come into the season with just seven players on the roster, meaning the three freshmen will be counted on for big production right away. Bottorff says the key to Edinburgh’s success will be improving defensively to prolong points for an undersized front line. Despite the low numbers, the coach believes improving on last year’s win total is still possible.
Franklin Grizzly Cubs
Coach: Roxanne Chapman
Last season: 27-7; lost to Center Grove in Class 4A sectional final
Key returnees: Livi Brown, Isabell Mahin, Brooklyn Peddycord, Brooke Phillips and Logan Stasik, seniors; Hilliari Hensley, junior; Kabria Chapman and Cami Kelsay, sophomores
Outlook: The Grizzly Cubs are positioned well for another shot at dethroning Center Grove as the top dog in the county and the sectional. It starts with standout setter Phillips, a Lipscomb recruit who enjoyed a stellar summer on the club circuit. If someone can replace the graduated Alyvia Sundheimer as Franklin’s go-to hitter, this team could produce a memorable season.
Greenwood Woodmen
Coach: Amanda Ratliff
Last season: 9-22; lost to Whiteland in Class 4A sectional opener
Key returnees: Lauren Battinau, Maddy Limbach, Lawson Roberts and Alyssa Stilley, seniors; Megan Johns, junior
Top newcomers: Siena Halfaker, sophomore; Jenna Armstrong, freshman
Outlook: The Woodmen hope to be a bit stronger this season, with most of last year’s lineup back and a couple of potentially strong additions — including Armstrong, who Ratliff believes could become “someone to talk about.” Ratliff has done some shuffling position-wise, which she hopes might pay dividends.
Greenwood Christian Cougars
Coach: Kelsey Souders
Last season: 25-9; lost to Indianapolis Lutheran in Class A sectional final
Key returnees: Rylie Scott and Avery Shingleton, seniors; Jessica Miller, junior; Hannah Farley and Isabella Reed, sophomores
Top newcomers: Riley Ratliff, sophomore; Maggie Booher and Dorothy O’Dell, freshmen
Outlook: With five of last year’s starting six lost to graduation, new coach Souders will be trying to reconstruct the team, and the program as a whole, from the ground up. Reed is a known quantity at outside hitter, and Miller and Scott both have a decent amount of experience as well, but some of GCA’s younger players will need to undergo a baptism by fire early in the season.
Indian Creek Braves
Coach: Andi Ferris
Last season: 25-9; lost to Danville in Class 3A sectional final
Key returnees: Malea Brownfield, Taylor Burkett, Hannah Maddox and Bailey Woods, seniors; Avery Hensley and Korrah Martin, juniors; Jessie Hart and Makenna Hogue, sophomores
Top newcomer: Morgan Frash, senior
Outlook: New coach Ferris inherits a Braves team coming off one of the best seasons in school history. With setter Brownfield and top hitter Burkett returning, Indian Creek should again contend for a sectional title. The additions of Hensley, who sat out last year with an injury, and Frash, a Lawrence Central transfer, should help bolster an already solid lineup.
Whiteland Warriors
Coach: Carolyn Ray
Last season: 4-26; lost to Franklin in Class 4A sectional semifinal
Key returnees: Kayla Havens, Tabby Holzhausen, Emily McClung, Sarah Staples, Rhyan Walden and Hannah Williams, seniors; Toni Joyner, junior; Sarah Scott, sophomore
Top newcomers: Abby Savin, junior; Lindsey Jones, freshman
Outlook: The Warriors took the momentum of a sectional upset of Greenwood and carried it through a strong summer. Ray has a big chunk of her lineup back and adds a promising young talent in Jones, who should contribute right away on a big front line. Whiteland probably isn’t ready to take down the big dogs just yet, but they’ll likely be far more competitive in the conference and county than in the past.
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