St. John's Christian volleyball growing in numbers
Moncks Corner – With a developing program that includes b-team and junior varsity, as well as a varsity program, the sport of volleyball shows positive signs of being a competitive program in the future.
Second-year head coach Brittany Moss says there are about 30 girls participating in volleyball across three levels and getting those younger players involved in the sport early will lead to success on the varsity level.
The 2023 Cavaliers are experiencing a bit of success this fall, winning seven of 12 matches, including a 4-3 mark in region play. The roster this season has only one senior.
“I feel like we have great potential to grow over the next few years,” says Moss, who has been involved with the program for six years. “This team has been very competitive. We have some close losses, at least two in five sets, I was a little worried at the start, because of our youth, about how we would handle getting tested. I think we’ve handled it pretty well overall.”
The lone senior on the floor is right side Anna Full. Juniors include Ana Teixeira (middle blocker), Josie Sweatman (RS/DS), Kaylee Kizer (DS) and Ava Higbe (middle back row).
Sophomores Chandler Cumbie (middle hitter) and Olivia Kunkle (Libero) are regulars among the starting lineup. Cumbie leads the team in kills this season.
Freshman Kylie Finley shows potential as a versatile player who can set and hit. Eighth-grader Joanna Villeponteaux is leading the team in assists and among the leaders in defensive digs.
“She’s a real leader and is promising player,” Moss said. “She has a good feel for the game.”
Another eighth-grader is Lily McKnight and freshman Preslee Lail recently joined the varsity from the junior varsity team.
“We are a young team overall,” Moss said. “We had four girls returning who had varsity experience so we are still learning the game. The season is about what I expected. We had some players out sick recently so that slowed us some but overall we are making progress.
“This team has a great opportunity to grow in the future. And with the younger teams also growing, I think the experience level moving forward will be much better.”
The Cavaliers have two remaining region games with Cathedral Academy in early October. Cathedral is the top program in the region and has won state championships recently.
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