‘The future of Creston volleyball is bright’

The Panthers met Dec. 1 to recap their 8-14 volleyball season.

“I had super high hopes that we would be .500 or better,” head coach Naomi Sharp said at the banquet. “That didn’t happen, but I do feel like we improved a lot, and improvement is really what it is about.”

This was Sharp’s first year back at the helm of the team. Last season, the team finished 5-15.

Seniors

The team graduates two seniors — Ady Morrison and Mila Kuhns.

“Ady played quite a bit of JV to start the season and then she took a role on varsity and just ran with it,” Sharp said. “She came in and served, and she’s got a wicked serve. It moves all over the place. It’s left-handed, it’s powerful. We will miss that.”

Morrison finished the season with a 96.6% efficiency rate, missing only three serves all year.

She served eight aces in the time she played varsity.

“She’s a quiet girl. She doesn’t get too loud or excited about stuff, but she comes in, works her tail off every day,” Sharp said. “She’s a hard worker, and she leads by example.”

Kuhns has always specialized in back-row defense, putting up 159 digs this season.

“Mila is a hard worker. This girl — there’s nobody with more spirit in them, and it all comes out,” Sharp said. “That’s a skill you can’t teach kids. We’re going to miss that. She took her role this year and ran with it. We’re appreciative for all she’s brought the last four years.”

Awards

The team voted on three awards — most improved, hardest worker and most valuable player.

Sophomore Hope Henderson was voted most improved by her peers.

Henderson’s height made her a valuable asset at the net. Henderson put up 23 solo blocks and 11 block assists to lead the Panthers. On offense, she nailed 58 kills.

Junior Jaycee Hanson was selected as the hardest worker. She also earned a spot on the Hawkeye 10 all-conference team for the second year in a row.

Named to honorable mention as a sophomore, this season she’s earned second-team recognition.

Last season, Hanson led the Panthers with 85 kills. This season she led again, but with 152 kills — nearly doubling her total from a season ago.

From the service line, Hanson was a 92.6% efficiency, succeeding in 201 out of 217 attempts. She also served 16 aces.

Outside of libero Avery Staver, Hanson logged the most digs, putting up 193.

Junior Kadley Bailey was selected as MVP after a stellar season as the team’s primary setter.

Bailey had 369 assists this season including 61 kills of her own.

She served 20 aces, the second most on the team and still managed to dig up 141 balls.

The Panthers finished eighth out of the 11 Hawkeye 10 teams with a 2-8 conference record. They finished in front of Harlan, Denison-Schleswig and Atlantic.

“I’m really looking forward to next year and years to come,” Sharp said. “This is a fun group of girls; we’ll definitely miss those seniors. The future of Creston volleyball is bright. I’m excited for it.”