Hall girls volleyball hungry for turnaround

The 2021 spring season proved to be a challenging balancing act for the Hall girls volleyball team, but a large and motivated senior class is eager to leave the Red Devils’ program on sure footing this fall.

“It was tough on them,” coach Darcy Earley said of a spring season which saw Hall go winless in 14 matches. “We were spread thin because a lot of our starters were also on the basketball team. They literally finished their (basketball) season on a Saturday, we practiced on Sunday and played our first match on Monday.

“They just weren’t conditioned for volleyball, and it was tough for them to go a whole match without hitting a wall physically. It was just a long year altogether.”

Earley is faced with the task of replacing six starters, but considers the challenge manageable because of the effort already put forth by the program’s seniors.

“We have nine seniors who are anxious and ready and have been working hard all summer,” she said. “The desire is there. After a tough spring season, they’re hungry to turn it around.”

Up front, Earley will look to seniors Kali Vassos and Kierra Wozniak to lead the Red Devils’ charge with setters Mia DeAngelo and Mia Mautino running the offense, while libero Katelyn Pullam will manage the defense along the back row.

Wozniak’s development at the middle hitter position will be pivotal for Hall after the graduation of Maddie Hannon, who led the Three Rivers Conference in blocks (16) last spring.

“(Wozniak) can jump out of the gym,” Earley said. “She’s a very good blocker and has gained some valuable experience getting used to the speed of the game. She’s got some big shoes to fill.”

Without the top-end height the Red Devils are likely to see from other teams, Hall is focusing on skills and strategies to enable them to negate any potential disadvantage.

“We’ve have to concentrate on reading the hitters’ hands, and we have to make sure we get our serves in,” Earley said. “Mia DeAngelo can serve the ball anywhere on the floor, and Paige Worden and Callie Meyer are both seniors who can also serve really well. They’re learning to read and see what other teams are giving us, and we’re also trying to get some hit sequences going to we can put some stuff down.”

The resilience and determination the Red Devils have shown emerging from a winless spring season with such fervor to improve leads Earley to believe better days are on the horizon.

“They’re gritty,” Earley said. “They’re determined. They work extremely hard, and they’re smart. We try to be prepared for every match and review a lot of film, even of our practices. This group is willing to work very hard.

“We’ve just got a lot of girls who really want to win, and I hope it pays off for them. I just keep working as hard as I can to get them where they need to be.”

The Red Devils open the Fall season Tuesday at home against Seneca.