Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Going into her 14th year as coach, Shannon Turner goes through the practice drills with the 2010 Bulldogs. For the Bulldogs' roster, see page 11.
DAYTON - The Bulldogs' last playoff game against Pomeroy was a nailbiter.
But in the end, after playing several other games that day, the girls just didn't have it in them. Had they won, Dayton would have gone to state.
Still, last year's 5-3 volleyball season was much better than head coach Shannon Turner had expected.
"We knew the season would be somewhat of a challenge as well as a building
year," she said. "As the season progressed and the girls got some varsity floor time experience, we turned things around and started winning matches." The 2009 team excelled faster than Turner anticipated and ended up placing second in the league, then played a great district tournament. "We weren't able to take that last ticket to state but just getting as far as we did was a huge accomplishment," she said.
This year, the Bulldogs will miss Kayla Turner, the talented middle blocker, and Dutch exchange student Mieke Masselink, the gifted outside hitter. Coach Turner is counting on four returning Varsity players to go as far if not further in the league this year: setter Kayla Turner, outside hitter Amancia Melton, libero
Nicole Lambert and outside hitter McKayla Bickelhaupt. "They will be the core of the team," Turner said. "They play different positions and have experience on the court. They are quick and smart team leaders." The Bulldogs have 18 players this year, compared to 26 at the start of last year. Turner expects the new players to catch on quickly and help the team win games as their experience kicks in. "By mid season, they will play up to everyone," she said. "This group has athleticism and that puts us that much further ahead." So in practice, the girls have been honing their transitions, offensive and defensive skills to get ready for the likes of Waitsburg and Liberty Christian, which will be among the teams to beat, she said. 2010 BulldogsVolleyball Team
Kayla Turner Amanda Melton Nikki Lambert Shelby Smith Darci Hall Leticia Umeda Ievgeniia/Jane Ovcharenko Aleksyeyeva Yelizaveta Veronica Camero McKayla Bickelhaupt Jessica Tate Sarah Mascall Vicki Trump Courtney Fuller Courtney Mings Lexie Ward Bailey John Michelle Hilton
Head Coach: Shannon Turner
JV Coach: Lisa Benzel
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