By Jacki Wood

After placing second at districts in 2015, Nodaway-Holt head volleyball coach, Tobie Bohannon, expects the team to compete at the same level and finish well.

“The team last year was very scrappy and I feel like this team will add quickness and continue to be scrappy,” Bohannon said, who is in her third year at Nodaway-Holt. “I feel like this team has a lot of contributing members that will work well together to compete. The dynamics of the team are very positive.”

The Trojans went 15-12-1 last year with a 3-3 conference record and lost five players to graduation including Frankie Lemar, Jaylee Holmes, Jordan Long, Kennedy Sportsman and Ashley Brashears.

Bohannon said Lemar led the team in assists every game last year and they will miss her aggressiveness. She said Holmes was an excellent passer and also aggressive.

She said she is counting on two senior captains, Macie Bohannon and Rachel Farmer, to lead the team. Macie received all-conference and 2nd team all-district honors last year.

“I expect (Macie) to be a strong middle hitter and blocker and (Rachel) has really worked on improving her setting,” she said.

New additions include senior Sam Keith, who Bohannon said adds quickness and control to the team, and senior Baylee Thornton, who just moved to the district and will add strength and power to the outside hitting position.

The Trojans will also count on a couple of sophomores to step up. Amanda Bohannon will add quickness and aggressiveness and Breanna Day, a new setter, is quickly picking up the role, Coach Bohannon said.

“We will continue to work on having fundamentals and quickness as well as learning aspects of the game,” she said. “I am excited for the season to start to see how this new team works together and competes.”

Kyle Blackford will be assisting the team once again.

The season tips off for the Trojans on August 30 at home against the North-West Nodaway Muskets.