With their season nearing its conclusion, the Volley Hounds dropped a trio of contests last week, falling 25-14 and 25-9 to an Eagles Landing them that has won nearly 30 matches this season as well as to Woodland, followed by Thursday’s 25-16 and 25-8 defeat at the hands of Piedmont.
In the loss to Woodland, Jones County won the first set 25-18 before the Wolfpack countered with set victories of 25-13 and 15-9.
“We know what to do. We’ll execute it for a while and then, the tank just gets empty,” Lady Greyhounds head coach Kim Hanner said.
But as the season comes to an end, it’s hard for the Volley Hounds not to only look forward with a younger group of players that includes Grace Faircloth and Isabella Bodnarchuk, but also the impact of six seniors, all of which were honored before Thursday’s match against Piedmont Academy. Those seniors were Lyndsie Hanner, Arleigh Henderson, Carly Mercer, Emily Parks, Naliah Richardson and Malea Rogers.
“They’re a good group of girls,” Hanner said. “I’m proud of them for who they are, and the big thing I tell them is that they’re not defined by athlete that they are, but who they are as people.”
It’s a group that will be special to Hanner since she coached them on the JV level three seasons ago before moving up to varsity head coach for the past two seasons.
“These are my first ones that I coached on JV and followed them up. It’s very emotional, and one of them is my daughter,” Hanner said. “It’s been an honor coach them. They’re some of the kindest most wellrounded and thoughtful people in this world. They’ll do good things when they leave here.”
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