Lady Panthers reload with talent, depth
BENTON – With another Benton Lady Panthers volleyball season, it is another year where the Lady Panthers should contend for another state title like they’ve done most years during longtime Coach Brandy Chumley, and now again with another volleyball lifer and Benton fixture in Head Coach Michelle Shoppach. Shoppach guided the Lady Panthers to a 50-17 record in her two years as the varsity coach, her first leading Benton to the state championship.
Though the Lady Panthers lost some key players from last year’s semifinals loss to Jonesboro, Benton again just reloads every year with experienced players.
“We did lose some key players,” Shoppach explained. “We lost some players that most people didn’t realize how much they did for us because they were silent and they did their job. They weren’t big hitters, but they were consistent, or they were consistent with their digs, so we’ve got to replace them.
Benton lost All-state selection Hannah Brewer, who was huge at the net and currently playing for Southeastern Louisiana, but the Lady Panthers also return two All-staters in senior Laci Bohannan and junior Abigail Lagemann,
both also big at the net in their careers. Bohannan will miss the beginning of the season due to an injury she suffered in club ball, but Benton does have depth and competition for that nextwoman-up mentality.
“We’ve got some kids that were sophomores last year and now they’re juniors and played a ton last year,” Shoppach said. “So, they should know how to step up and do things just a little bit better, or at least we hope they do. We thought they did well last year.”
Benton will also get some more help at the net with a couple of move-ins who weren’t eligible due to their move-in status.
“Last year we had two move-ins that could not play varsity for us last year because they weren’t eligible - Irelyn Flynn and Olivia Mccallister,” Shoppach said. “I think they’re going to be big on the front row. Both of them we’ve got them either playing middle or right side and we think they will add some height.”
The height should help with Brewer and Allconference performer
Sakari Faulkner gone to graduation. The duo led the team in blocks last year. Allconference performer Katie Strickland also graduated last year.
“I think we were second in the state last year in blocking,” Shoppach said, “and we aren’t very big. We’re shooting for that
No. 1 in the state in blocking, and I think Flynn and Mccallister will be a big part of that.
“Southeast Louisiana started practice this week and (Brewer) said, ‘I’ve gotten a lot of blocks. I’m holding my own and getting a lot of blocks,’ so she’s transferring from what she’s learned at Benton to Hammond, Louisiana.”
The Lady Panthers also return their three leading assisters from a year ago in junior Kinzie Garrett, Bohannan (expected out until late September) and junior Henley Hooks, though there are even more capable setters should any have to play elsewhere on the court.
“Hooks has been taking the most reps at setter, but Emmaline Armstrong, a junior, and Abby Ferguson, a junior, have been getting a lot of reps, too,” Shoppach said. “We feel like any of those four will take over and do what we need to do. At this time, Hooks and Garrett are leading the way, but we feel confident in all four. I think they’re pushing each other.”
Shoppach also explained the depth for attacking at the net.
“Gracie Aldebot (junior) is making a run right now as our outside hitter,” the Coach said. “When she hits the ball, she’s going to hit it hard and it’s going to have a pop in it. She’s played middle in some of our team camps, but with Laci out, we’ve got her and Lagemann as our outside hitters. Grace Ann Shelnut (senior) is playing outside for us now. She’s coming off an ACL injury in February, and what she’s able to do right now, I am super proud of her coming off that ACL. She is working it hard.
Benton volleyball assistant coach and softball (whose team went 31-0 with a state championship) head coach Heidi Cox mentioned some youngsters looking to contribute as well.
“We’ve got several sophomores coming in that can help us, too,” Cox said. “Khenedi Guest has grown so much in the last couple of years, mentally and physically, so we’re pretty impressed with her right now and her blocking.”
Shoppach went on about Guest and more talented sophomores. “She ran middle for us and when we played Jonesboro twice in a team camp, she took over the middle hitting and blocking as a sophomore. She really set us on fire right there and really impressed us.
“Ellie Ferguson is another sophomore who is so versatile. She’s had to hit for us during team camps and she has caught our attention as an outside hitter. Very solid passing the ball and has a nice serve. If we needed her as a setter, we could.”
“Parker Sollars as a defensive specialist where in the last month has continued to get better and go after balls. She has a lot of heart. Lexi Mahan, we have her playing everywhere on the front row. Presley Pallette has played everywhere on the front row and plays back row for us at times if we need it.”
Cox added, “Olivia Little, (Mckenzie) Worsham and Bissette (Childress, who earned All-conference last year) have just controlled the back row right now doing a phenomenal job of making digs. Sophomore Karlee Backus, she’s a move-in as well.”
With that talent and depth, Shoppach said it’s going to come down to hustle and effort as the competition is there.
“At every position we’ve got options and that’s kind of what we’ve told them,” she said. “No matter what happens this year, we figure we will always have six players we can take and play. The good thing about Benton volleyball players is they can play all positions. It doesn’t mean we will, but we could if we had to.”
Playing some epic matches last season vs. Little Rock Christian, the Shoppach believes the same will happen this year for the two teams atop the 5A Central Conference.
“It should be us and
Little Rock Christian,” she said. “Little Rock Christian IS LOADED. They’ve got an outside hitter who can hammer the ball. They’ve got a left-handed (Scotty Thurman’s daughter) that can touch 10-4, so that’s a positive. They’ve got a setter and a libero that do a really good job. We played them a couple times in team camps and split with them without Laci and Lagemann, and I liked the way we played against them, Man, it was a good match. Everybody in the gym was watching us.
“The other teams in our conference are going to be better. We’ve seen everybody except for Hall in team camps and they are playing good volleyball. We may just have more hammers than what they have, but we are not going to take anybody for granted.”
But, just like last season as the COVID-19 pandemic was roaring, cases again are now surging and it may not be determined on the court.
“At some point COVID is going to play in to this,” Shoppach said. “We may have six girls, so we’ll go play, but we may only have six girls. The other thing that scares me is if we only have five girls and have to forfeit, we may not make the state tournament if we have to forfeit four or five games. Or we may not be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed if we have to forfeit four or five games.”
According to the Arkansas Activities Association, players do not have to quarantine after exposure if they are vaccinated for COVID-19.
Though Benton always has a target on its back in volleyball, Shoppach said the Lady Panthers will not take any opponent lightly.
“We’ve got positive vibes, but we are not taking anyone for granted,” Shoppach said. “I always say I want to be in the state championship game. I never say I want to win because somehow I jinx it. Everybody else can say that, but I always want to have a shot at it, and I always feel like I do, even when I was in Texas. I want our kids to feel when they give their best effort, that’s what we’re looking at.”
Benton will have their Maroon & Gray game on Tuesday at Benton Arena, with eighth grade beginning at 5 p.m., junior varsity and varsity at 6, and ninth-grade at 7. Cost is $10 with First Security Bank supplying burgers, chips and water.