NTL VOLLEYBALL: TROY HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN 2024 (2024-08-21)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Few teams come into the season with as high expectations as Troy volleyball. They made the District IV semifinals last year, and welcome back most of that team, along with christening a new gym floor, giving them ample confidence and motivation for the 2024 season.

“I’m really glad that we have the structure that we had last year with the girls,” Troy coach Abby Herman said. “Only replacing a few is really important for our program.”

Their top four hitters are back with Aryanna Andrus (172 kills), Kali Ayres (141), Marlee Stanton (111), and Josie Kerrick (106). They see that as their biggest asset this season.

“We have a lot of people who transition off the net well, and we run in pretty quick,” remarked Ayres.

Herman feels confident with having so many girls who have had success at then et.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “I feel like I don’t have to worry about what’s going on up there. If one’s off one day we still have about four other hitters the can do the job for us.”

Still, they aren’t getting ahead of themselves, as they continue to work on defense and passing.

“If you don’t have a good pass, you don’t have a good anything,” Stanton said. “So it all starts with a pass.”

Ayres (248 assists) and Brenna Jackson (210 assists) shared setting duties last year, and with both back that should just add to the connection between setting and hitting.

“If you don’t have a good connection we wouldn’t be where we are,” Andrus said.

Defensively they have the most intimidating blocker in the league in Andrus. She recorded 63 of her team’s 82 blocks last year with her 6-foot plus intimidating presence. 

“It’s just fun to watch her succeed,” Stanton said. “I just get excited when she hits the ball.”

Backline play is one are they may need to shore things up at as they lost Rachel Jackson to graduation, who had 178 digs a year ago.

“The biggest thing right now that the girls have been working on every practice is communication and defense,” Herman said. “Last year I think we were focused on our offense more than our defense, this year they are trying to talk to each other.”

They do bring back five other girls who recorded at least 100 digs.

“We definitely need to keep working on defense, because when we got into tough serve receive stuff that’s when we tended to struggle,” Ayres said.

They did battle through an up-and-down regular season last year before finding their footing in districts. That’s the biggest thing they hope to avoid, inconsistency, which is where communication and chemistry come in.

“I think our team has definitely bonded way more,” Andrus remarked.

With league power NP-Liberty losing much of their team to graduation the Trojans are hoping this is the year their streak ends. And they’d like to be the ones to do it.

“That’s the whole goal this season,” Herman said. “That’s one of the ones on there, and they’re pushing themselves in practice in order to achieve it. So, if anything, it should be a really good match-up against them again this year.”

ROSTER

Kali Ayres

Josie Kerrick

Camryn Barbour

Lexi Kjellander

Marlee Stanton

Amber White

Brenna Jackson

Aryana Andrus

Hailey Watson

Madison Deitrick

Alli Bailey

Peyton Jennings

Bella Wood

Taylor Brown

Peyton Miller

Maeleigh Deitrick

Haidyn Watson

Nya Watson

Aubree Kenyon

Keira Coles

Emilee Purcell

Evelyn Schonher

Arrika Johnston

SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 vs Williamson, 7 p.m.

Aug. 29 at Athens, 7 p.m.

Sep. 5 at Towanda, 7 p.m.

Sep. 7 at Williamson Tournament

Sep. 10 at Williamsport, 6:30 p.m.

Sep. 12 at Canton, 7 p.m.

Sep. 14 vs Danville, 11 a.m.

Sep. 17 at Wellsboro, 7 p.m.

Sep. 19 vs Towanda, 7 p.m.

Sep. 21 at Lewisburg, 11:30 a.m.

Sep. 26 at Athens, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1 at NPL, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 vs Loyalsock/Canton, 10 a.m.

Oct. 8 at Sayre, 7 p.m.

Oc. 10 vs Wyalusing, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15 vs NPL, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 vs Wellsboro, 7 p.m.

Oct. 22 vs NEB, 7 p.m.

Oct. 24 at CV, 7 p.m.

Print Friendly Version