Coming off a pair of strong seasons, the Clarinda Cardinals volleyball program is embracing a new chapter this fall. Head coach Jess Hanafan knows the roster looks different after losing a large senior class, but she is excited about the athletic and talented group stepping up.
“We’ve had a really good past two years. And last year we had six seniors, so we lost a whole bunch,” Hanafan said. “But the girls that we have now are very talented and very athletic. … The girls we have now are stepping into their new roles, and they’re doing really well.”
Two key returners are already making their presence felt: junior six-rotation outside hitter Miley Wagoner and sophomore six-rotation setter Ellery Bird. Both played significant roles last season, and their experience is expected to help guide a roster that features mostly freshmen and sophomores on the court.
“We have Miley Wagoner and Ellery Bird back, and they both played a lot and played big roles last year, so their experience will help us a lot,” Hanafan noted. “Other than these two, I think our whole court’s going to be freshmen and sophomores for the most part.” The Cardinals do have three seniors on the roster, all back-row players, while the offense is largely in the hands of underclassmen.
Hanafan is already impressed with the group’s offensive ability. “I thought we’d super lost those stats with all the senior hitters that we had. But they are doing great offensively,” she said. The focus this season will be cleaning up the typical young-team mistakes. “We’re very aggressive offensively, but … we’re just making a lot of underclassmen errors right now, which I think will get better. … I think it’s just going to come down to who can take care of the ball the best.”
The Hawkeye 10 Conference looks different this year with Red Oak, Shenandoah, and Lewis Central no longer in the league and Carroll joining the fold. Hanafan and her players are looking forward to the new competition while knowing the familiar faces will still present challenges. “We’re excited to see what they’re about,” she said of Carroll. “Other than that, we kind of know what everybody else brings. … I think we’ll be competitive with anybody we go up against.”
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