​Grain Valley boys volleyball aim to continue success from 2023-24 season

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News
 
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The first season sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Activities Association was a successful one for the Grain Valley boys volleyball team.
 
The team finished with a solid 16-9 record before falling to Lee’s Summit West in the Class 1 District 7 tournament. The Eagles will aim to continue the success from last season despite graduating five seniors.
 
Senior Maddox Dresslaer will be a big part of that as one of the Eagles’ best players. Last season, he led Grain Valley in kills and was a big part of the offense. He is not only a good player but is a leader for his team.
 
“Maddox has always been a very consistent player and someone we can rely on,” Grain Valley head coach Tori Squiers said. “But we are also relying heavily on his leadership. A lot of the other guys look up to him. Everyone respects him.”
 
Dresslaer will get some help on offense from junior Jordan Jackson, who was a starter last season and has built chemistry with the senior over two seasons on their club team. Jackson is a strong presence at the net who can help the Eagles with getting kills. He also will serve as a setter.
 
Sophomore Tyler Hoyt is a newcomer who will serve in a similar role to Jackson as a hybrid setter/hitter. Senior Ryan Rohr could also factor heavily in the offensive success of the Eagles. Last season, he had a 10-kill game.
 
Senior Tucker Hughes, who had some varsity playing time a season ago, will be a big part of the offense as he will either play at outside or middle hitter. He said he has practiced at the middle hitter position, which is new to him. It’s an adjustment, but so far, he has adapted to it well, Squiers said.
 
“He’s been looking pretty good in the middle,” Squiers said. “As long as we start connecting with him a little bit more as a hitter, he can be a huge threat there for us.”
 
The position switch is a challenge, though, Hughes noted.
 
“Being in the middle, you have to block both sides, which is different for me because you have to read the setter to know what side to go on,” Hughes said. “It’s definitely a little bit different.”
 
With the Eagles having some players coming back with varsity experience who played in positions close to the net, Squiers expects to have a strong offense, but the Eagles will have to work building a strong defense.
 
The Eagles graduated their starting libero from last season, Nolan Hessenius, and also lost Will Lindley, who was a 6-foot-6 middle hitter who provided a strong presence at the net for blocking.
Right now, sophomore Houston Jennings and freshman Tyler Riggle are competing to be the team’s starting libero. As for the rest of the rotation, Squiers is still evaluating what roles some of her other players will have before their season opener against Rockhurst on March 25.
 
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are new to the sport but they are just eager to learn and willing to listen. I think that’s important as we try to regrow the team. We have a little bit of work to do. With our athletic ability, we can have just as good of a chance as anyone else.”
 
With a mix of experienced players and newcomers, the team still has some goals in mind heading into its second season in a MSHSAA sanctioned league.
 
“I think we always have a chance to compete with any team,” Dresslaer said. “I think we can beat any team. We need to build some chemistry and figure out what we are going to run.
 
“We want to make it to the district championship game. We have played with a lot of the guys on other teams during the club season. It’s going to be intense because we all know each other.”

From left, seniors Tucker Hughes and Maddox Dresslaer along with junior Jordan Jackson will look to advance to the championship game of districts in the upcoming 2024-25 season. Photo credit: Michael Smith

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