Lady Eagles hope smart play translates to win in 2016
For the past five years, Oakwood Christian Academy has been one of the dominant volleyball programs in the Southern Christian Athletic Association (SCAA) with three consecutive leagues titles from 2011-2013 and runner-up finishes the past two seasons, including last year’s 19-2 campaign.
And if the Lady Eagles are to continue that tradition of winning in 2016, head coach Bailey Teem said that her players will have to play with their heads just as much as their hands or feet.
“We just have to play smart and that’s our motto this year,” she explained. “We’re going to be very young in some spots. We’re having to move some people into new positions and we’re trying to basically figure out where everyone works best and where everyone works best together. We’ve got some who have never played and some who have played for a long time so there’s going to be a learning curve until we get it all meshed together.
“We have to know who our opponents are and what their strengths and weaknesses are so that we can best play off of that. We may not be the strongest hitters and we may not be the best passers, but we’re definitely going to look and see what our best plays are before we make them and find the best places to put the ball.”
The Lady Eagles will dress out 10 on this year’s roster, but they have just three experienced upperclassmen, meaning the veterans will have to be more than just players.
“They will have to step up and not just be leaders, but teachers as well for the ones who haven’t played before,” Teem added.
Oakwood will be led by a pair of seniors in Tori Hall and Kaylee McSpadden.
Hall is the team’s primary setter and will play right side on the back row. She is coming off a junior season that saw her earn all-league honors, while McSpadden, normally a rightside back row player, is making the transition to a front row outside hitter for her final season.
“Tori is a strong, consistent server,” Teem said. “She hustles, knows the game and works hard. Kaylee is a great asset as a passer, but she just a consistent player no matter where I put her.”
Behind them is junior libero Kylie Hall, another great passer who rarely comes off the court. The final junior, basketball standout Annika Green, is new to the sport, but has excellent height and athletic ability.
Sophomore Mary Ownby is being groomed to one day take over at libero, but will be a solid performer on defense until that day comes, while the other sophomore, Oakwood newcomer Natalie Raines, is a first-time player who has impressed Teem with her hustle. She will man a spot on the back row.
Among the freshmen are middle hitter Lexie Asher, a talented player that has come to Oakwood from LaFayette Middle School, rightside hitter and defender Layla Rogers, and another middle hitter in the scrappy Charity Bankston.
The final varsity player is eight grader Nikki Waters, a homeschooled student that Teem said has a great attitude and is already exhibiting solid leaderships skills.
Teem said the goal is to win as much as possible. However, she said her team has other goals that don’t show up in the win column.
“The goal, always, is to win, but at the same time, the girls know the goal as a team is to play together and to enjoy the sport, win or lose,” she explained. “We also want to build character. We’re not just playing a sport, but we’re preparing for life after school and helping them become good citizens.”