Scarlett Kimbrell, left, and her Franklin teammates got their season off to a good start with a three-set win at Greenwood last week.
Daily Journal file photo
Preparing to defend Franklin’s volleyball attack last fall wasn’t all that difficult. Stop Scarlett Kimbrell, the scouting reports said, and you’ll probably stop the Grizzly Cubs.
Opponents won’t find match preparation quite so simple this time around.
As it proved right away in a season-opening sweep of Greenwood, Franklin has more weapons in its arsenal this fall — and while Kimbrell remains an explosive presence at the net, she’s just one piece of the puzzle under first-year coach Pat Carlson.
“We’re trying to really balance things out if we can,” Carlson said. “That’s the goal. As much as (Kimbrell would) love to get 47 swings a night, if we don’t need her to, then that’s fine. But we have her if we need that.”
Heading into tonight’s match against Decatur Central, Kimbrell is still the Grizzly Cubs’ leader in kills with 22 — but the distribution of attempts is a bit more equitable than it was in 2021, when she finished with more than twice as many kills as any of her teammates. The junior has 44 attempts through Franklin’s first two matches, while Rose Mahin has 31 and Aubrey Runyon and Brooklyn York each have 25.
Kimbrell has enjoyed having other viable options there to keep opposing blocks honest.
“It helps a lot,” she said, “but I just keep the same mindset. I’m just there to win, help my team out. So I know if Runyon has the hot hand, then I know the ball’s going to go to Runyon, and I’ll be there to cover for her.”
Building a mutual trust between teammates was the primary focus for Carlson over the summer; he wanted players to not only gain more confidence in their own abilities, but confidence in one another’s as well — when the ball goes in another direction, you can trust that player to get the job done.
It hasn’t been a completely seamless process, but the Grizzly Cubs are getting there.
“Getting 13 girls to trust each other in two months is pretty near impossible, and so we had to break down some walls and get them to say, ‘I believe in you, and you believe in me.’”
The early results have been promising. In last week’s victory over the Woodmen, Runyon finished with six kills and Mahin had five. Against Columbus East, Runyon and Veronica Whitaker each had four. Not earth-shattering figures just yet, but enough production to prevent teams from completely loading up on Kimbrell.
Being able to pick the right weapon at the right time can maximize the effectiveness of the offense — which is where junior setter Kennedy Urban comes in.
“We’re really balanced, and Kennedy’s the key to that,” Carlson said. “She spreads the ball around really well, finds who’s hot. If they’re hot, get it to them, and if they’re not, find somebody else. We’ve got enough hitters that we can do that.”
And none of those leading hitters are seniors, which means that Franklin should be in a position to continue growing.
A year ago, the Grizzly Cubs lost eight of their first 10 matches en route to a 13-18 finish; Kimbrell said it was a rough ride, noting that she’s “not used to losing” — but she’s feeling more confident about the road ahead this fall and beyond.
“With our team as good as we are this year, everyone does their part,” she said. “Everyone helps out. It’s just a team sport.”
