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NTL VOLLEYBALL: NEW ERA STARTS FOR TROY VOLLEYBALL (2022-08-25)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
It will be a changing of the guard for the Troy volleyball team, as they welcome in Abby Herman as the new head coach. 

While this is her first year as a varsity head coach, she has plenty of experience in the coaching realm.


“I wasn’t assistant varsity coach down in Virginia a couple years before this,” Herman remarked. “I was excited to get started with volleyball all over again, and I’m really excited to coach these girls. They’re a really good group of girls, very energetic, and there’s a lot of potential that they could actually do really well this season.”


The Trojans are coming off a 3-13 run in 2021, though, in several of their losses they took a set or two off opposing teams. Their key win was a come from behind 3-2 victory at Towanda, and they do return quite a few players from last year’s squad.


“There’s girls that have played all these years, and then I lost a couple girls that we’re pretty good,” said Herman, who coached the junior high team a year ago. “I really like the fact that I’m moving up with the ninth graders, who I had for junior high, so I have a good relationship with them. And teaching in the school helps me get a pretty good relationship with the girls.”


The girls themselves are excited to be back on the court.


“I’m super stoked,” remarked Taleka Stahle. “I think we are a good group of girls this year. It’s going to be great.”


This year’s senior class is already feeding off the new blood in the gym.


“We a lot of new girls that like to bring more energy and power to the team,” Lydia Lewis said.


“I’m definitely bonding with everyone, and just getting better,” added Alyssa Johnson.


The girls have made team bonding a point of emphasis early this year.


“We want to be more friends,” said Alexis Bellinger. “Find more friends with the team.”


She noted that last year frustrations boiled over during rough stretches of the season.


“Don’t be frustrated at yourself, or at the team,” she said about goals for this year. “Everyone’s always going to make mistakes.”


That’s a lesson the whole team learned.


“You can’t be too hard on yourself,” Lewis said. “You also have to have fun, and make the other girls also have fun. You can’t get down on everybody.”


Their top attacker Meredith Cole returns, who had 133 kills a year ago. Also up front defensively Savannah Spencer (39 blocks) and Josie Kerrick (21) blocks both return. 


Setter Madison Vargas returns, who finished with 102 a year ago.


Cole was also strong on the back row defensively, amassing 219 digs to lead the team, followed by Vargas (170). Cole (29 aces) and Vargas (27 aces) were also strong on the serve.


However, after them, there’s a whole of room for newcomers to make their mark.


“We’re putting in the work, and we’re focusing, and working extra hard,” said Stahle. “Telling ourselves ‘this can happen, if we say it can happen.’”


They’re confident that they compete with the better teams in the league.


“I think we could definitely beat them this year,” said Johnson. “We have a pretty good team.”


Herman hopes that this will be the start of a new birth of success for the program, one that will last for a while.


“We’re starting a fifth and sixth grade program, so there’s definitely a lot of potential that this team could grow, and go really far in a couple years,” she said.


ROSTER

Aryana Andrus

Allison Arnold

Kali Ayres

Camryn Barbour

Alexis Bellinger

Meredith Cole

Brenna Jackson

Rachel Jackson

Alyssa Johnson

Josie Kerrick

Lexi Kjellander

Avereigh Levindoski

Lydia Lewis

Roseanna MacBride

Alexandria Newcomb

Natalie Pesesky

Alannah Porter

Savannah Spencer

Taleka Stahle

Marlee Stanton

Madison Vargas

Hailey Watson

Amber Jo White


SCHEDULE

Aug. 30 - Troy at Sayre, 7 p.m.

Sep. 1 - Wyalusing at Troy, 7 p.m.

Sep. 6 - NPL at Troy, 7 p.m.

Sep. 10 - Troy at Williamson Tournament

Sep. 13 - NEB at Troy, 7 p.m.

Sep. 17 - Troy at Shamokin Tournament

Sep. 20 - Troy at CV, 7 p.m.

Sep. 22 - Williamson at Troy, 7 p.m.

Sep. 24 - Troy at Loyalsock, 3 p.m.

Sep. 27 - Troy at Athens, 7 p.m.

Sep. 29 - Troy at Towanda, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4 - Troy at Williamsport, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 - Troy at Canton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 - Troy at Wellsboro, 10 a.m.

Oct. 11 - Towanda at Troy, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 - Troy at NEB, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 - Athens at Troy, 7 p.m.

Oct. 20 - Troy at NPL, 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 - Canton at Troy (Pink Out), 7:15 p.m.




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