Perry volleyball preview: Building year for Jayettes
Last year was a bit of an experiment at the net, as a first-year head coach Katelyn Whelchel was also a first-year activities director for Perry. Whelchel said it was a contributing factor among a variety of reasons to a “slow start to the season” but now as most of the roster makes a return to the floor, the Jayettes look to push the program further a bit faster out of the gate.
Staying consistent
While a 9-28 overall record was not a strict improvement from the previous year, it was at least keeping things stagnant from the growth spurt the Jayettes had in 2021 after a stumble in 2020. Now the question becomes: Can the team make a jump or at least stay level while missing a few cornerstones that drove the past two years?
Whelchel said she classifies this as a building season, as the team looks to fill the gaps left by the two leading assisters Taylor Atwell and Yamilet Ortega, and two leading hitters Ashley Cerna and Kathryn West.
“One thing I am excited about this season is the adaptability and versatility this group will have. We have a good handful of young varsity returners that got a lot of playing time last year,” Whelchel said. “I have seen major increases in confidence and court knowledge which is going to help carry us through this upcoming season.”
Players like sophomore Charity Parnell and Miley Sanchez look to take on bigger roles after seeing good reps last season. Parnell walks in as the team’s leader with 150 digs in the back row last year while Sanchez is second with 38 kills behind Maci Tunink’s 52 kills.
Whelchel also pointed to Gaby Orellan and Yamilet Gonzalez as contributors that the team found last year.
“We will be a pretty young varsity team this season and we are going to continue to find ways for our younger athletes to contribute,” Whelchel added.
A pain point remains, however: Height.
While the team has rostered a couple of players marked at 5-foot-8, “Size difference will continue to be something we work around,” Whelchel noted, adding that the team will continue to shift focus on improving back rank passing and adding vertical range through the weight room.
Building blocks
Beyond double-duty as a coach, Whelchel taking over as the school’s activity director also had some direct impacts on the overall direction of Perry athletics and the volleyball team in particular.
In his multi-role stint with Perry, Scott Pierce had led a new strength and conditioning program for a few years. Now the district has found a new way to provide training access for their students.
Starting this summer, Perry started offering training sessions to grades 3-12 with ETS, a sports performance group with a location Grimes.
Whelchel said that she’s excited to see her players utilize the program to develop more versatility and strength on the floor.
ETS currently sends a trainer to Perry on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and works with all of the varsity teams. Perry students can also go to ETS’ gym for training at a discounted rate.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Perry volleyball preview: Building year for Jayettes
