Whiteland senior Kennedi Morrison extends herself in an effort to get to a ball earlier this season against Greenwood Christian.
Daily Journal file photo
The record book containing numerical proof of Whiteland’s first 57 seasons of volleyball is guilty of some gaps historically.
Well documented is the past decade when it comes to Warriors’ individual single-season and career achievements; the program’s late-1970s and 1980s infancy, not so much.
Even so, Kennedi Morrison’s place in that history remains secure.
The 5-foot-7 senior outside hitter and defensive specialist is zeroed in on finishing as Whiteland’s leader in kills for a third consecutive season, with 67 coming into this week. Morrison, who also entered her final prep season with 327 career digs, ranks second on her squad in that category this season with 62.
Donning the Warrior uniform is something she doesn’t take for granted.
“I’ve definitely grown up in volleyball,” Morrison said. “My mom (Niki) used to coach as a varsity assistant at Whiteland, so I grew up in the gym. I started playing in third grade and I started playing club in sixth grade.”
By the time Morrison was a freshman, she was prepared to make an impact at the varsity level, finishing with 81 kills, second-most on the team. Her statistics proved more impressive the following two seasons as she evolved into more of a focal point both offensively and defensively.
Whiteland’s approach has been somewhat different under first-year coach Jenny Munn, whose 7-3 team is seeking the school’s first winning season in 14 years.
The Warriors play what could be their most important match of the season — maybe in many seasons — when they travel to Franklin tonight for a battle of Mid-State Conference front-runners.
“I would say historically, she’s been the go-to,” Munn said of Morrison. “I do think we’re learning who some of our other big hitters are as the season goes on, which has been a great way for Kennedi to take a big, deep breath and relax because she is so important in the back row as well.
“Sometimes, it can be a lot to be that go-to front row person, but also that go-to back row person. She is a big deal in our game, but we have kind of learned how to spread it out just to take the pressure off of her a little bit.”
Morrison is one of two Warriors’ captains, the other being senior setter Amber McClung. It’s the second consecutive season Morrison has earned the honor.
Munn, a 2015 Perry Meridian graduate who had been a coach in the Falcons’ system the previous eight seasons, has four seniors on her roster in all. Each has played a vital role in helping Munn transition — a role Morrison readily embraces.
“It’s extremely important,” Munn said. “Kennedi’s just comfortable with the game. Senior attitudes tell you a lot about a player, and she just wants to help the underclassmen, which is a big part of our game.
“You can even see her (on court) when we warm up with the JV team. She’s giving advice to outside hitters, and you don’t always see that. She really just is wanting to share the talent of volleyball with everyone she meets. People can learn so much from her.”
Perhaps most importantly, Morrison is helping lead what is a Warrior volleyball resurgence of sorts.
Whiteland hasn’t finished a season with a winning record since the 2009 club made it over the .500 mark at 14-11. Over the course of Morrison’s first three years on the court, the Warriors were a combined 27-55.
This squad aspires to not only continue, but complete, the turnaround.
“I have always seen myself as a leader for everyone, even as an underclassman,” Morrison said. “I feel like I have a lot of younger girls looking up to me, and I just want to set a good example for them.
“As a team, I want us to end up in the top half of the conference because we haven’t done that in a while. And I just want to have fun with my team.”
