New faces hoping to get LFO back to state

The LFO Lady Warriors will go into the 2021 season looking to do a little retooling.

The team graduated six seniors, three of whom were named as All-Area performers in 6-AAA, and roughly just 25 percent of that entire roster is back again this year.

“We only have four returning players, so it’s going to be a building season,” said head coach Diane Norwood, now in her third decade as the only head coach the program has ever know. “We’re really counting on those four returning players to be leaders for us.”

Of those four veterans, two are members of the threeplayer senior class.

Taliyah Holland is primarily a back row player, but versatile enough to see some time at the net. She finished last season with 115 digs, 70 kills and 32 aces. Another all-around player is Madison

Dorsey, who collected 159 digs, 41 kills and 11 aces last fall. She will see most of her playing time as a front row hitter in 2021.

The team’s final senior, Chloe Reile, will be a defensive specialist. This will be Reile’s first season with the varsity team after playing with the JV in 2020.

The junior class includes front row hitter Sydney O’Neal, a second team All-Area pick

front or the back row. The final junior, Alexis Brackett, did not play last year, but was a JV player as a ninth grader. She will also be the team’s primary back-up at setter.

Then there is sophomore Cady

Helton, who is primed to improve on her 134-dig, 25-kill rookie season. An outside hitter, Helton saw significant action as a freshman and can also play on the right side, while right side hitter Brooke Baldwin will be the only freshman on the varsity roster. Boren said Baldwin also has the ability to play all over the court.

Kim Davis is joining the club as Boren’s assistant coach, while she

will also lead the junior varsity program.

Boren added that having good attitudes and avoiding injuries and COVID-19 would be keys to the season, along with maintaining team chemistry.

“I definitely think one of the big strengths of this team is unity,” she added. “We just had a great summer and everyone gets along well,

on and off the court. We’ve always had good chemistry, but this team is just so encouraging to each other and they have such good attitudes.

“It’s been a really good start with this group of girls that we have, both varsity and JV. They have great friendships and I think it’s going to be that way the whole season because it’s just a great group of girls.”