By BUTCH HARMON
Young and talented. That is the best way to describe the Corunna volleyball team this season.
With some outstanding young players, the Cavalier volleyball team has been flexing its muscles while gaining more experience that will pay off in matches to come.
“I would describe this year’s team as young but talented,” coach Karri Carnell said. “This team has two returning seniors from last year and then is made up of two freshmen, three sophomores, and three juniors. We have much learning to do, but our will to compete and drive to want to win helps.”
The Cavaliers have turned in number of solid efforts so far this season. They picked up a key win in five sets against Byron. At their own Corunna Invitational, they took first place in the silver division and finished runner-up overall behind Beal City. “The season has been going well,” Carnell said. “As with any very young team, we have our ups and our downs, but we are using all of those situations to our advantage and learning each and every time we step on the court.”
The Cavaliers have been led by sophomore Meredith Norris. “Meredith Norris is coming off a hugely successful freshman season where she received honors from PrepVolleyball by being named one of the top 10 varsity-playing freshmen in the nation,” Carnell said. “She leads our team in every just about every stat, and in our dual at Lake Fenton, she got her 1,000th career kill as a sophomore.”
Junior Skylar Napier is a returning standout setter for the team. “Skylar brings her setting experience back to us this year,” Carnell said. “She is probably the most athletic kid we have on our team. She gets to every ball, and she is a definite leader through her great work ethic.”
Skye Rivett is also making a big impact. “Skye is a newcomer this year and has stepped up for us at the libero position,” Carnell said. “She is a quick learner, and she really soaks up all information that she is given very quickly and applies it. She is a student of the game, and she looks forward each and every day to learn more about her position and how to successfully play it.”
A positive factor is that the players get along. “The strong point of this year’s team is the fact that these kids are very close friends both on and off the volleyball court,” Carnell said. “They hold one another accountable for what they are supposed to be doing, and they are really self-motivated. This team should be able to accomplish a lot this year. We are working very hard to achieve our goal of winning another district title.”