Local high school volleyball action begins this week
The 2023 high school volleyball season gets underway this week and Bartow Sports Zone reached out to each of the four local programs for a brief preview of their teams.
Three of the local head coaches responded regarding their outlook for the 2023 season.
David Condon
Woodland High School
Coach Condon begins his 14th season as the head coach at Woodland and his 20th season coaching volleyball. The veteran has also coached girls and boys' soccer along with girls' and boys basketball in the past. Before joining the staff at Woodland, he served at Northgate High School in Coweta County near Newnan.
How many players do you have in the program this season?
We have 34 total players with 12 at the varsity level. We will have a JV squad and a Junior/Middle School team.
Who are your top players to watch this season?
Kendall Condon returns as our setter. Anastyn Jones is our top outside hitter and Lili Womack returns as a skilled Libero.
What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team?
We have more experience so we should see improvement over last year.
Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth?
All six teams in our region are good but I expect Dalton, Cartersville, and Calhoun to be among the most solid teams in the league.
Upcoming on the schedule
August 8 — Pepperell at Woodland
August 10 — Southeast Whitfield and Chattooga at Woodland
August 15 — Woodland at South Paulding
August 17 — Woodland at Temple
August 22 — Unity Christian at Woodland
Kailey Martin Adairsville High School
Coach Martin begins her sixth season of coaching and the third year leading the Tigers. She has prior club volleyball coaching experience and has also served as a middle school track and field coach and a high school junior varsity basketball coach.
How many players do you have in the program this season?
Our numbers are slightly up again this season. We have 13 at the varsity level. We will also have 14 junior varsity players and nine freshmen players this year.
Who are your top players to watch this season? Senior Jenna Claire Hendley is an outside and middle hitter. She is a positive force on the court. She is quick and smart and reads the ball very well. She will be a captain for a second year. I expect her leadership to be very evident on the court.
Senior Jayna Wilson is a middle blocker. She is a “go-getter!” Jayna has a powerful hit and has great vision. She is just as strong as a defensive player as she is on offense. She is constantly pushing herself in all aspects of the game.
Senior Sherry Wells will be our Libero. An unreal defensive player, Sherry is extremely quick. She plays fearlessly and is easily one of the strongest defensive players in our region.
What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team?
We want to make it deeper into the state tournament than we did last year. We were eliminated in the second round last year and are working extremely hard to make school history by advancing beyond the second round.
Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth?
LaFayette is always a force to consider in our region but I feel we will be strong contenders this season as well. We lost two players to graduation from last season but return a strong senior class. I believe that experience will bode well for us. I also think Ringgold and Bremen will have another strong showing this year in Region 6-AAA.
Upcoming on the schedule:
August 10 — Temple and Christian Heritage at Adairsville
August 15 — Adairsville at North Paulding with Hiram
August 17 — Coosa and Calhoun at Adairsville
August 22 — Adairsville at Temple with Villa Rica
Lindsay Meltzer
Cass High School
Coach Meltzer returns to coach the Lady Colonels for a third season and begins her second year as the Cass head coach. In addition to her volleyball duties at Cass, she has coached with 575 Volleyball at both the local and regional levels.
How many players do you have in the program this season?
We will have 24 players in the program this season. That is roughly the same number from one year ago.
Who are your top players to watch this season?
Two of our top players are sophomores, Carson Brannon and Jada Zimmerman. Carson is quick on her feet and has great stamina and ball control. She is confident in her position as a setter and is one of our most reliable players on the floor. Jada has a great skill set and spatial awareness on the court when hitting. Her accuracy is solid. They both have a great combination of expertise in their positions and the drive to win. That makes for a great combination on the court as leaders of our team.
What goals and expectations do you have for this year’s team?
Our goal is to return to the state tournament for a second consecutive year. Before last season, the program’s previous trip to the state playoffs was in 2012. Our goal is to continue to learn and grow throughout the season so we are well-prepared and ready for the region tournament in October.
Who are the best teams in your region and where does your team fit into the region race for a state playoff berth?
We play in a great region with a lot of strong competition from all six teams. Last year for us, it came down to a tough match with Hiram for a state playoff berth so we are looking forward to the challenge again this year. The team has been working hard this summer and we want to return to the state playoffs.
Upcoming on the schedule:
August 8 — Cass at Temple with Cedartown
August 10 — Cass at Gordon Central with North Murray
August 15 — Cass at Pepperell with Heard County
August 17 — Cass at Armuchee with Coosa
August 19 — Tournament
August 22 — Rockmart and South Paulding at Cass
Comments