 Center Grove has a mix of young but experienced players to go with (from left) outside hitter Gracie Gasper, defensive specialist Santina Schembra and outside hitter Olivia Clouse, all seniors. |  Center Grove junior MJ Hammill returns as setter and a mainstay for the back row. |
SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY Chris Due, former coach at Franklin, returns to Johnson County as head coach at Center Grove. Due also serves as assistant director of the Circle City Volleyball Club. Center Grove (31-6) – Coach Due takes over tradition-rich program … Trojans reached regional final last year … graduated key players Devynn Merriman (519 digs), Emma Jones, Ellen LeMasters and outside hitter Olivia Clouse … junior setter MJ Hammill (Wisconsin commit) team leader … sets for front row of juniors Anna Line (209 kills), recovering from ankle injury, Calista Stafford (94 kills), senior Gracie Gasper, rangy 6-2 soph Grace Boggess (Butler commit) and junior Lindsey Howard … juniors libero/defensive specialists Ashley Eck and senior Santina Schembra mainstays in back row with Jada Beetz and Avery Baker … tough schedule.
Coach’s comments: “I feel extremely good about the talent we’re working with. We lost two of our top offensive players and that will be tough to replace. We have a lot of younger but experienced players. With MJ and the young kids, we have a talented team. We will be able to move the offense around, not just use simplified sets. We can put hitters in different situations. We have good depth in the back row. With our schedule our weaknesses will be exposed early, but we can work on that and be ready for the postseason. We’re not playing for the start of the season but the end of the season (playoffs)
Coach’s comments: “I feel extremely good about the talent we’re working with. We lost two of our top offensive players and that will be tough to replace. We have a lot of younger but experienced players. With MJ and the young kids, we have a talented team. We will be able to move the offense around, not just use simplified sets. We can put hitters in different situations. We have good depth in the back row. With our schedule our weaknesses will be exposed early, but we can work on that and be ready for the postseason. We’re not playing for the start of the season but the end of the season (playoffs)
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