News
ENLARGE
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — You can't teach height — which should make Tacy Kelly's job that much easier as head coach of the Incline volleyball team.
The 2010 Highlanders are not only talented across the board, they're tall, averaging nearly 5 foot 11, said Kelly, who also returns seven seniors from last year's group.
“The team is looking strong. We've got some big hitters,” Kelly said. “Right now my average height is 5-10, 5-11. And we have seven seniors, so that will be a big gap next year, but we're coming along slowly but surely.”
Senior setter Lexi Dewey returns after earning Northern 2A All-League honors as a junior, while the Highlanders lost their other All-League selection from 2009, Shanna Murray, to graduation.
Nevertheless, Incline will be stacked with senior leadership, with Tori McCunn, Mariah Joseph, Chandler McCunn, Michaela Wright, Nikki Riva and Chloe Bolton. Juniors Justine Nelson, Abigail Paris, Charlene Swick and Laurel Perry fill out the roster, along with sophomore Kathrin Laramore. Riva and Tori McCunn are team captains.
Kelly said after finishing 1-2 in the season-opening Carmichael (Calif.) Tournament last week, the team has established itself as a hard-hitting group with the ability to smash home kills. The one part of the Highlanders' game that could use some polishing, Kelly said, is their passing.
“We've got big hitters. As long as our passing comes through, we'll be good. That's kind of our weakest thing right now, is passing and digging,” the coach said. “Once we get that together we'll be able to run a lot more plays. But when we are hitting the ball, we're really hitting it.”
The Highlanders will have their work cut out for them in their newly realigned league, which now includes larger 3A opponents during the regular season. In an effort to save on travel costs, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association combined the Lake Tahoe-area schools into a Mount Rose League. The schools include 2A members Incline, North Tahoe and Whittell, and 3A members Truckee, Sparks and South Tahoe, which competed for years at the 4A level until dropping to the 3A this year.
Once the postseason begins, however, Incline, North Tahoe and Whittell will break off and play against the rest of the 2A, while Truckee, Sparks and South Tahoe will do the same against the 3A schools. Kelly said during the regular season, then, teams will receive two points for beating a 2A team, three points for beating a 3A team and four points if they happen to beat a 4A team. The top nine teams from the Northern 2A advance to the regional tournament based on the points system, Kelly said.
Once in the postseason, the 2A squads will have to contend with former 3A power Yerington, which dropped to the 2A in all sports this year.
The 2010 Highlanders are not only talented across the board, they're tall, averaging nearly 5 foot 11, said Kelly, who also returns seven seniors from last year's group.
“The team is looking strong. We've got some big hitters,” Kelly said. “Right now my average height is 5-10, 5-11. And we have seven seniors, so that will be a big gap next year, but we're coming along slowly but surely.”
Senior setter Lexi Dewey returns after earning Northern 2A All-League honors as a junior, while the Highlanders lost their other All-League selection from 2009, Shanna Murray, to graduation.
Nevertheless, Incline will be stacked with senior leadership, with Tori McCunn, Mariah Joseph, Chandler McCunn, Michaela Wright, Nikki Riva and Chloe Bolton. Juniors Justine Nelson, Abigail Paris, Charlene Swick and Laurel Perry fill out the roster, along with sophomore Kathrin Laramore. Riva and Tori McCunn are team captains.
Kelly said after finishing 1-2 in the season-opening Carmichael (Calif.) Tournament last week, the team has established itself as a hard-hitting group with the ability to smash home kills. The one part of the Highlanders' game that could use some polishing, Kelly said, is their passing.
“We've got big hitters. As long as our passing comes through, we'll be good. That's kind of our weakest thing right now, is passing and digging,” the coach said. “Once we get that together we'll be able to run a lot more plays. But when we are hitting the ball, we're really hitting it.”
The Highlanders will have their work cut out for them in their newly realigned league, which now includes larger 3A opponents during the regular season. In an effort to save on travel costs, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association combined the Lake Tahoe-area schools into a Mount Rose League. The schools include 2A members Incline, North Tahoe and Whittell, and 3A members Truckee, Sparks and South Tahoe, which competed for years at the 4A level until dropping to the 3A this year.
Once the postseason begins, however, Incline, North Tahoe and Whittell will break off and play against the rest of the 2A, while Truckee, Sparks and South Tahoe will do the same against the 3A schools. Kelly said during the regular season, then, teams will receive two points for beating a 2A team, three points for beating a 3A team and four points if they happen to beat a 4A team. The top nine teams from the Northern 2A advance to the regional tournament based on the points system, Kelly said.
Once in the postseason, the 2A squads will have to contend with former 3A power Yerington, which dropped to the 2A in all sports this year.
UP NEXT
The Incline volleyball team hosts Dayton on Wednesday, Sept. 8 and Whittell on Wednesday, Sept. 15. All midweek matches start at 6 p.m.
|
