Whitehall Volleyball opens season Saturday at Manhattan Tourney

A young and talented Whitehall High School volleyball team will open the season this Saturday at the Manhattan Quad Tournament.

Head coach Kayla Simon is excited to get the season rolling.

"I love starting our season out at an all-day tournament because it really gives us a chance to try different options in terms of positions and rotations and see what sticks," she said. "Going in to the Manhattan Tournament, I'm hoping to see the girls communicating-first and foremost. We are going to be getting used to some new things and getting used to each other, so communication will be the most important thing this first weekend."

In her first year as varsity head coach, Simon was pleased with what the off-season commitment from the team.

"This off-season I saw a good group of girls getting in to the gym consistently. We were also lucky enough to attend a team camp at The University of Montana-Western in Dillon a few weeks ago. That was a great experience for the girls, and I think they got a lot of good information and feedback. The first two weeks of practice have been going well for the most part. We are going 'back to basics' in terms of fundamentals and are practicing doing things the right way instead of the easy way. The girls have been working really hard and seem excited for the season," she said.

The Lady Trojans lost just one senior to graduation and will return seniors Ashlynn Ellison and Hannah Tebay in 2019. Simon said both have a lot of varsity experience and will be big contributors to the team.

Whitehall will also return Meagan Johnson who was second-team All-Conference as a sophomore and will be the teams libero this year.

"I am expecting a lot from her this season. She has been committed to working hard and leads by example," Simon said.

Kendra Klapan, Maxine Hoagland, Dalaney Scafani will also return to the varsity team and Simon has also been surprised with younger players Jada Clarkson, Brynna Wolfe and Haley Briggs, all of whom she said will make considerable contributions to the varsity squad.

Eighth graders Charity Nieskens and Lindsay Briggs were moved up to the team for the year, and Simon has high hopes for them as well as junior varsity players Kyra Oliverson, Jazz Fast Horse, and Grace Richmond.

Senior Asha Noyes will be unable to play due to an injury suffered last year, but Simon said she is still contributing to the team with her time and positive attitude by agreeing to be manager.

"Some strong points I see in our 2019 team are that they all are willing to work. They are keeping expectations for themselves and their teammates high during practice, which I appreciate. The flexibility we have on this team in terms of positions is also a great benefit and a necessity when working with smaller numbers," Simon said.