New faces at LFO hoping to maintain old winning ways
After three decades on the sidelines at LFO, head volleyball coach Diane Norwood says she still gets excited every fall about the prospects for each new season.
“I just get attached to the girls,” said Norwood, who has been the Lady Warriors’ head coach ever since the program played its first match in the fall of 1990. “I keep thinking once this one group graduates, I’ll stop, and then I think that when the next group graduates, I’ll stop. But it seems like another group always takes their place.”
True to form, a new group will take the floor in 2019, one that will be without some key players from last year, including two-time Catoosa County Volleyball Player of the Year Macey Gregg, who led or was among the team leaders in most offensive categories a year ago.
However, Norwood remains optimistic that new faces on the roster, along with some solid returning veterans, will be able to extend LFO’s run of consecutive state playoff appearances to seven in a row.
“We are definitely going to look a little bit different,” Norwood explained. “We’ve got a lot of new girls, but it’s a lot who have played club ball, so I’m excited to see how it’s all going to work out. We’re looking good so far. We’re going to have a young team, but we do have three seniors and I think they’re all very confident that they can get back to state again.”
After teaming up with Gregg for the past couple of years, senior Miyah Foster will be a true go-to player for the Redand-White in 2019. Foster (259 kills, 56 aces in 2018) has played in and performed well in many big varsity matches over the past three years and plays club ball virtually yearround. She will once again play in her familiar middle hitter role.
Sheyenne Dunwoody (39 aces in 2018) is a solid player, who Norwood says shows tremendous hustle. The senior can play all over the court, but likely be primarily an outside hitter this season. The class is rounded out by Jadah Ownby (43 kills, 11 aces, 16 blocks), one of the team’s best servers from a year ago, who will also play on the front row when on the court.
Morgan Noblitt will return at setter for her junior season. Noblitt performed well as a call-up to the varsity roster late last year. The team’s tallest player, Madison Stookey, is in her first season on the varsity roster and will give LFO height in the middle. Xitlalli Gomez (28 aces) is back for another year on the varsity roster at the libero position, while first-year varsity player Riley White will likely play on the back row, but could see some time up front.
The final three players on the varsity are all sophomores. The class includes cousins Bailey and Kelsey Sullivan, who are both new to varsity play and who will both hold down utility roles for the Lady Warriors, while the final player, Madison Dorsey, will give LFO another solid all-around player. Dorsey is also coming off an offseason of club ball.
The veteran coach said communication will be a big key for the squad moving forward this season.
“I have a good group of girls this year and they talk to each other well on the court,” Norwood said. “I think that will be a strength, as well as our offense. The main key will be working together as a team. It can’t be about the individual. It has to be about the team.”