16th-ranked Lady Senators working hard as 2025 season begins Friday

MORRISTOWN, TN – Megan Blaylock is entering her 10th year in charge of the Walters State volleyball team, and the 2025 Lady Senators are poised for another successful season.

Walters State, who were ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA DII Preseason Poll on Monday, enter the season after making the NJCAA DII National Tournament the last two years. Despite that success, Blaylock knows this is a new team, and they are focused on "paving their own way." 

"We are hyper-focused on not comparing previous years' successes to this team," Blaylock said. "If this group wants to continue to build on national level success, they have to have the will and want to achieve that on their own. It's a more difficult road now that two more teams have entered the conference. It wasn't easy before, and it won't be any easier now, so we're really focusing our training on competing consistently at a high level."

As far as preseason has gone, the Lady Senators have hit the ground running in the short time they have to practice. 

"Preseason is always full of ups and downs," Blaylock said. "We're working extremely hard right now since we have such a short amount of time to prepare before we start competing. Our new girls are embracing the changes we are asking them to make and taking each adjustment in stride. They're adapting quickly to our systems and eager to improve each day."

In terms of returning players for the Lady Senators, NJCAA DII Third Team All-American Rylee Haynie is back. Last season, Haynie had 237 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, averaged 2.01 kills per set, totalled 128 blocks and was named the TCCAA/Region 7 Freshman of the Year. 

While last season Haynie was mostly a middle, this year she has the ability to move around and help the Lady Senators offense in multiple spots.

"We are really excited to have the ability to move Rylee around in our offensive system this year," Blaylock said. "She was primarily a middle last season, but with our incoming girls, we have the flexibility to see Rylee on the pins as well. The versatility in her game will be incredibly beneficial for us this year."

Along with Haynie, other returners for Walters State include Veda Barton, Annah Cate Hyatt, Payton Brown, Mykanna McMahon and Ava Morgan. Barton had 226 kills and 100 blocks last year, while Hyatt had 355 assists and 34 aces and Brown had 392 digs. 

"I truly expect all of our returners to make an impact," Blaylock said. "Veda Barton, AC Hyatt, and Payton Brown all saw significant playing time last year and Mykanna McMahon and Ava Morgan made huge improvements during our spring training. Veda flew under the radar last year as we transitioned her to the right side, but I expect her to be a focal point in our offense. Payton's experience in the libero jersey last season will be a huge boost to our defense, and AC's setting consistency will provide us with a well-balanced offense."

Walters State also has seven newcomers, and Blaylock expects all of them to contribute. Those newcomers are Trudi Aiken, Kara Coggins, Lilabeth Jordan, Davanie Tarleton, Chloe Redwine, Isabelle Brickey and Preslee Quertermous. 

"They'll all see the floor," Blaylock said. "We had to replace 4 hitters from last season. Davanie Tarleton, Kara Coggins, Preslee Quertermous and Isabelle Brickey will all get reps on the front row. Trudi Aiken will see time in a 6-2 rotation as a setter. Lilabeth Jordan and Chloe Redwine are both solid defenders who will see the floor. I'm excited to see them in action this weekend."

The newcomers will be tested early for Walters State, as they start the season in the Cape Fear Invitational with four matches. The Lady Senators will play in the Wallace State Tournament later in the season and host the Walters State Invitational in October. Walters State will also play Cleveland Community College twice, a team they had to beat in the NJCAA Southeast District B Championship to make the National Tournament last season. 

"If we want to compete at the national level, we have to play against national-level talent," Blaylock said. "That's why we accepted these tournament invitations. There's always high-level competition at these tournaments and the difficulty of those matches really highlights what areas we need to improve in. A challenging game against a high-level opponent is dramatically more beneficial than an easy win."

Walters State will also play some new schools in conference play this season, as Jackson State and Dyersburg State are in their first seasons. The TCCAA, which has improved significantly over the last few seasons, will be even more of a challenge to navigate through this year. 

"I'm incredibly excited for our conference to continue to grow," Blaylock said. "While it makes my job harder, it's really encouraging to see more opportunities emerge for the young women in our communities. I fully expect the conference to be more competitive this year and believe it will be a battle the entire way through."

As far as goals for this season, Blaylock is looking forward to seeing where her team is at come October. 

"Our primary goal is always to win the region, but a main focal point right now is to improve consistently throughout the span of the season," Blaylock said. "It doesn't matter how we are playing in August; it matters how we are competing in October."

Walters State kicks off the season on Friday, taking on Lake Sumter State at 3 pm ET and Fayetteville Tech at 5 pm ET at Cape Fear.