New look Lady Senators squad ready to compete in 2023
MORRISTOWN, TN – It'll be a new look for the Walters State volleyball team in 2023 as head coach Megan Blaylock brings in nine new players to go with her six returning players.
While there has been an adjustment period as the team tries to gel together, Blaylock said her squad has come a long way in the offseason and is ready for the season.
"Preseason has been full of growing pains," Blaylock said. "Bringing together 15 different playing backgrounds is always a challenge but I've seen some real improvements over the last few weeks, and I think the girls are itching to compete. This group's work ethic and positive energy has me fired up."
Returning for Walters State are six players that all had significant playing time last season. That includes Maddie Rockrohr, Mattie Davis, Madyson Greenlee, Taylor Spears, Allison Singleton and Haylee Richardson.
"All of our returners will make an impact on and off the floor this year," Blaylock said. "I expect them to see significant floor time and believe we will rely on their playing experience to carry us throughout the year."
The most significant returnee is Rockrohr. The sophomore from Rockfield KY had 140 kills and 170 digs last season.
"Maddie Rock was incredibly steady for us last season,l and I am looking forward to seeing how she continues to develop with her new teammates," Blaylock said.
As for new players, the Lady Senators have seven freshmen and two transfers. The new freshmen include Eden Aiken, Bailey Fair, Finley Surber, Catherine Sweeney, Alyssa Campbell, Sydney Bjornstad and Olivia Brown.
"I am excited about all of our incoming athletes," Blaylock said. "We have big pin hitters and strong middle blockers in the freshmen class."
Both incoming transfers come from USC Upstate. Lauren Mims arrives from Spartanburg, SC while Jaci Drinnon is a Morristown native.
"I am very excited for our two transfers, Jaci Drinnon and Lauren Mims, to use their Division 1 playing experience to elevate our offense and defensive systems," Blaylock said.
In terms of the schedule, Walters State will be on the road a decent amount as they play in four tournaments and invitationals. The Lady Senators will play in the Cape Fear Invitational, Spartanburg Methodist Invitational, Wallace State Fall Bash and will host the Walters State Invitational.
For Blaylock, the tournaments will be a good test for her team and will help prepare them for postseason play.
"Competitive tournaments allow us to find areas of improvement and show us the level we need to be playing at to be competitive nationally," Blaylock said. "Our first tournament at Cape Fear, we will face the No. 1 (Richard Bland) and No. 19 (Cape Fear) ranked teams in the NJCAA. High level non-conference games are what will prepare us for our growing region and conference games."
In the conference, Walters State will be once again competing against Chattanooga State, Roane State and Cleveland State. However, new to the conference this season will be Pellissippi State.
The Lady Senators will be looking for their sixth Region VII Championship.
"The region continues to become more competitive, and each year it becomes more difficult to stay at the top of the conference," Blaylock said. "I am looking forward to seeing the continued growth in the future."
Despite a lot of new pieces on the team, the goals remain the same for Blaylock and the Lady Senators.
"We've set many individual goals, but our biggest team goal is to win our region and compete for another national tournament bid while keeping everyone healthy," Blaylock said.
Walters State opens their season on Saturday as they travel to Southwest Virginia. The Lady Senators will take on Caldwell Community College at 11 a.m. and Southwest Virginia at 3 p.m.
"I'm looking for competitive drive and hustle over the next few weeks," Blaylock said. "We have realistic expectations set for our high-level competition, and we are focusing on being better today than we were yesterday."
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics