​Eagles display quality depth at jamboree

by Michael Smith


There is one attribute that may be key to a successful season for the 2023 Grain Valley volleyball team – depth.

The Eagles return five players that were a part of the 6-person rotation in 2022. But after Wednesday’s jamboree against Fort Osage and Truman, it appears head coach Tori Squiers will have plenty of options outside of the returning starters to see minutes on the court.

Newcomers like Chesnie King, Kyleigh Casey, and Piper Jackson made their case for being a part of the rotation with strong performances as they helped Grain Valley win all four sets.

In the jamboree, the Eagles played two sets against Truman and a pair vs. Fort Osage. The first team to 21 points won the set.

Junior Kayla Gallagher returns as an outside hitter and showed her experience Wednesday. Senior Izabella West is another outside hitter with varsity experience as she saw time at the net, as well.

Those two should be getting plenty of assistance at the net throughout the season from players like King and Casey showing they can be a force at putting up points.

“She’s an outstanding offensive player,” Squiers said. “We have had a lot of chats about working on defense, but offensively she is strong for our team. Since she’s a lefty, that helps her when she’s hitting from (the right) side.”

King looked like one of the best ball strikers on the Eagles as she was tied with Gallagher with the second most kills at seven. She had a strong left-handed swing and her strikes proved to be difficult for Fort Osage and Truman to defend.

One of her kills came on a well-placed fingertip strike that landed just inside the boundary lines in the back right corner of the opponent’s floor.

She appeared to be a strong defender at the net, as well as the sophomore totaled three blocks.

“This is definitely different than (junior varsity),” King said. “The competition is a lot better. It was fun. I am excited for this year.”

Casey could also be an option at the net for Squiers as she showed she can score, too, as she totaled five kills and two blocks which resulted in points.

“She had a small injury that took her out for a few weeks,” Squiers said of Casey. “She’s trying to earn a six-rotational spot and she’s been a stud for us offensively. She also puts up a big block defensively and so does Chesnie.”

Jackson, a freshman, impressed with her two kills, two blocks and an ace.

“Defensively, she’s such a strong player,” Squiers said of Jackson.

The returning starters also looked sharp. Davies led the team with eight kills and she added two blocks. West displayed her prowess for serving as she had a team-high four aces. Allison Koepkey, the setter, looked strong as she had two saves and multiple assists as the team’s primary setter.

Senior libero Kaylie Jennings provided the team a strong punch on defense as she protected the back line well with several digs.

“I feel like we have a really good connection with our defense and offense,” Davies said. “When we are putting balls away, we have a lot of good setters we can use.”

“We have been running a lot of different combinations for kills and we have been running a lot of sets. We are working on perfecting them.”

Overall, the Eagles looked strong as they never trailed in any set. They defeated Truman 21-19, 21-14 and topped Fort Osage 21-16, 21-9.

While there were some mistakes here and there for Grain Valley, the team looked like a cohesive unit for the most part and could be in for a strong 2023 campaign.

“I am glad we were able to get some nerves out during the jamboree,” Squiers said. “We want to teach them some little things during this that they haven’t seen in practice. They’re pumped, we have a great group of kids that just want to play.”
 

​Grain Valley senior Allison Koepkey prepares to serve the call during the preseason jamboree Wednesday at Truman High School. Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley senior Megan Davies led the Eagles with eight kills against Fort Osage and Truman. Photo credit: Michael Smith