CHARLOTTESVILLE — A new season brings a new focus for the Eastern Hancock volleyball team.
After a pair of learning-curve, 11-win campaigns, head coach Cory Rainbolt’s Royals are aiming to take the next step this fall.
Only three seasons removed from the program’s first winning record — 21-14 in 2017-18 — since going 28-10 in 2012, the Royals welcome back several key pieces on offense, especially in junior Lili Hunt, which could net more success in 2020.
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“We are still trying to finalize our lineup, but have personnel that can play multiple positions,” Rainbolt said. “Consistency will be the key for us this year. We have to be smart and play balls accordingly.”
Inconsistencies hurt the Royals a year ago, and it equated into an 11-21 record and 2-7 finish in the Mid-Eastern Conference, which is loaded with volleyball powers Wapahani, Cowan and Shenandoah, among others.
Eastern Hancock struggled to put a substantial winning streak together in 2019, but with the trials should come the rewards, particularly with age.
The Royals have five seniors on the varsity roster this season, which provides them with plenty of leadership that Rainbolt intends to rely for the program to reach its potential.
Among those key seniors with varsity time from last season are Emma Weiss, an outside hitter, and Jenna White, a middle and outside hitter.
Seniors Jasya Melton and Karlie Gaylord, a defensive specialist, moved up from junior varsity last year to play some valuable varsity sets, and senior setter/libero Tori Brown, a team manager last year, returns to the court after contending with some health issues that kept her sidelined.
“Being more athletic this year will help us achieve our goals,” Rainbolt said. “Hoping we can surprise a few of our opponents.”
The Royals’ statistical prowess shines through with their junior class led by Hunt, last year’s kills leader.
Hunt, a middle hitter/setter, hammered down a team-best 169 kills with a rate of efficiency measured at 30.1 percent. Hunt was named to the All-MEC team as a sophomore and posted 56 aces, 26 total blocks, 173 digs and 194 assists. She set a school record for aces in a single game last year with 14.
“We have some power. We just need to work on knowing when to use it and how to control ourselves when we can’t. Some of it will come with more experience,” Rainbolt said.
Junior middle hitter Syndi Bednarksi (111 kills, 33 aces, 148 digs), left-handed sophomore Megan Retherford (16 aces, 145 digs) and junior defensive specialist Bre Taulbee (168 digs) return.
Sydney Hayes is positioned at setter as a sophomore and is joined by fellow classmates Alivia Coffin and Emma Bolding, who are both middle/outside hitters.
Rainbolt projects Hunt and Hayes sharing responsibilities at setter while also serving as important pieces in Eastern Hancock’s front-row attack.
Coffin, who stands as the squad’s tallest player at 5-foot-8, and 5-7 Bolding will add size to the Royals’ block. They will also be key on offense as they get their timing and the speed of the game down.
“We want to improve on our conference placement from last year. It will have to be a collective effort from the whole team, bench included,” Rainbolt said. “We have our sights set on a few games from last year that didn’t turn out how we wanted them to.”
Retherford and Taulbee will team as defenders in the back court. White will add some “flare to our outside,” Rainbolt said.
Jaysa has added a strong vocal presence to the team this preseason and has proven a motivational leader on the court.
“We are hoping to take more games to five sets. We lacked focus last year and gave up to easily,” Rainbolt said. “The MEC is a big Munciana conference, so we definitely have our challenges with conference games.”
The Royals open the season on Monday at home against North Decatur followed by two more home matches next week on Tuesday vs. Morristown and another on Thursday against Cambridge City Lincoln. Each match has a 6 p.m. junior varsity start time.
