By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

The Cassville volleyball team has more seniors on its roster this year than positions on the floor, and the Lady Wildcats’ confidence is blooming because of it.

Paige Huddleston, Cassville volleyball coach, said the team’s 20 contact days began in June with games in Mt. Vernon, transitioning to open gyms, day amps and play days before wrapping up in Seneca next week.

“In July, we hit it hard with weights in the morning and then open gyms where we break down skills and work on technique we don’t want to go back and address when the season starts,” Huddleston said. “We are getting comfortable, introducing our freshmen to the rest of the team and touching the volleyball as much as possible with passing and basic skills.”

The play days, on July 12, 19 and 26, incorporate other area school districts to mimic costly college camps.

“Last year, we just did drills with other schools, so I talked to all the coaches to see how they would feel about playing,” Huddleston said. “It’s not an option for everyone to pay $200 to attend a college camp, so we try to replicate team camps, but costfree.”

Teams spend the first 30 minutes in a combined warm-up with drills, then play about three hours of games against one another.

“It’s a great way to put girls in game-like situations and see them play at game speed,” Huddleston said. “They self-evaluate, and we evaluate as a team to get better by our first game in August.”

The Lady Wildcats’ experience gained this summer bookends years of dedication and preparation for many team members, as only one senior is gone from last year and seven will be on this year’s roster.

“This junior class is really elevating their game and started to by the end of last year,” Huddleston said. “I always say the sophomore to junior transition is a big step, as they become upperclassmen but not seniors. Now that this group will be seniors, they are elevating their game.”

Huddleston said the improvements have come just as equally on the floor as off it.

“These [incoming] seniors have done a great job bringing our great class of freshmen in and making them part of the family, like they’ve been there all along,” she said. “Our open gyms were also open to junior high players, and the seniors have done great embracing them and helping them, choosing junior high players as warm-up partners instead of their senior friends. They are taking those steps on their own to elevate the team’s play.”

Huddleston said over the summer so far, the offense has shown the most improvement, especially with some players dedicated primarily to volleyball yearround.

“We are really fine-tuning our setter- hitter connections and can pinpoint people because we have a lot of utility players,” Huddleston said. “We have a lot of tall hitters that play well defensively, and kids that can go in a 6-rotation when I’m not sure if they could have handled that last year.

“We are in the mode of just fine-tuning our offense.”

Major contributors on the floor have been senior Emerson Grossman and sophomore Emma Pryor.

“Emerson was our kill leader last year, and I foresee her leading in kills again,” Huddleston said. “She has played club ball all winter and spring, so she hasn’t stepped out of a gym all year.

“Sophomore Emma Pryor as a freshman had to learn to manage the varsity floor, and she did well there. She played club all year and her consistency as a setter is allowing us to run a more aggressive offense.”

Huddleston said where the offense is shining, the major area of focus now is on serve-receive.

“If our effort is off there, that becomes so important,” she said. “We’ve been a roller coaster of high moments where we pass perfect and low moments where we can’t hit the ball, so we have to find consistency.”

Huddleston said senior Pazlee Burbridge was last year’s block leader, and she is proficient in service, especially with aces.

“We know she can handle the defensive part, and we think this year she will be able to handle more of the attack, too,” Huddleston said. “Madison Halterman also came in after basketball, not playing a spring sport, with big goals to fix her serve.

“As a freshman, she was one of the strongest with her serve, and in her sophomore and junior years, she tried to be more aggressive, and missing can take away confidence. She has worked hard on her serve and attack, but she is a utility player who I can put anywhere on the floor. She can even be opposite Emerson as a hitter, dominating in the serve but also scoring points.”

Huddleston said players like seniors Josie Keevan, senior Audrey Gosvener and Madelyn Richter will be the team’s defensive specialists.

“All three are doing great things, and in the season it will probably come down to who is on and who is not each night,” Huddleston said. “If someone is tired or struggling, we can rotate them.

“Sophomore Kennedy Truman is right there with them, too.”

Huddleston said throughout the summer, the team has developed a chemistry and built an atmosphere of excitement.

“They are confident and hungry for every win they can get,” she said. “They have that fight mentally that they did not quite have last year.”