Stability, experience key for CCS volleyball in 2021

Last year’s Chase County volleyball season was a roller coaster, Head Coach April Lambert said.
Lambert was entering her first year at CCS and COVID shut down many opportunities for the Longhorns to grow as a team prior to the start of fall sports.
With young contributors in last season’s lineup, Lambert said it took time to find the right place for players.
Gisselle Acuna’s early-season knee injury sent CCS back to the drawing board and put a lot of players in unfamiliar roles, she added.
Now, Lambert said CCS not only has a really solid lineup, but has the players to come off the bench and change the game when the Longhorns need it.
“That will be crucial to our success,” she said.
The Longhorns have three seniors leading a roster of 27. Six juniors, six sophomores and 12 freshmen round out the team.
Senior Jerzee Milner and juniors Bryn McNair and Joee  Clevenger return as starters, as does Acuna.
They are joined by senior Chloe Dillan, who spent plenty of time on the court as a defensive specialist and libero last year. Fellow senior Lucy Spady saw time as an attacker, as well. Picking one leader is a challenge for Lambert, who said the team has so many players who lead in so many different ways.
“Our seniors have really stepped up to lead the program and support our younger players with leadership and support on and off the court,” she said.
Other players lead by the impact they have on the court with aggressive hitting, tough defense and other playmaker-type habits, Lambert said.
The freshmen class have been leaders with their energy and enthusiasm to improve, she added
“We are in a great place because we have so many girls who are able to contribute to our whole team in important ways,” Lambert said.
Overall, her players’ dedication and hard work at practice has made an impression on Lambert.
“The girls are doing a great job becoming good teammates and improving their skills as individuals and as a team,” she said.
Offense and blocking defense will be very strong, although CCS is still working on some connections and fundamentals.
“We are pretty balanced and we just keep working every day to make all aspects of our game better and better, especially serve receive, defense, and serving,” Lambert said.
As in past years, CCS will face an abundance of quality opponents to start the season.
The season will begin Thursday this week at Ogallala, a consistent C1 district finalist.
“Every day I feel better about our readiness. Our rotations are really shoring up as the girls learn to play next to each other and trust and embrace their various roles,” Lambert said.
The Longhorns will take on Class B McCook and Class C1 Minden Aug. 31 in McCook.
Tournaments in Lexington and McCook will be mixed in with games against Yuma, Colorado; Sedgwick County, Colorado; and Class B Sidney.
District opponents this season will be Chadron, Hershey, Mitchell and Ogallala.
“If we can get wins in the front part of the season, we will be off to a great start,” Lambert said.