Inaugural Season of MHS Volleyball Hints at Promising Future

McKenzie High School's newest athletic endeavor just concluded its first season, and the future looks bright for the fledgling program.
The Lady Rebel volleyball team ended the year with a loss to Huntingdon in the semifinals of the district tournament on Tuesday, October 7.
At the conclusion of that tournament, several McKenzie players earned district awards. Addison Milam and Jaycee Stafford were named to the All-District team, and Kynadie Brown was named to the All-Tournament team. Haylee Beard, Molly French, and Ashley Dunavant earned Senior Academic Awards.
The Lady Rebels' final record is 7-10, including 6-6 in District 12A, which includes Clarksburg, West Carroll, Riverside, JCM, Madison and Huntingdon.
They earned the number four seed in the tournament and a home game to begin the postseason, which they won.
The team, which includes many established athletes from other sports, was assembled in July and learned the game from the ground up in just a month.
Coach Jordan Jowers told The Banner just before the season began, "They have learned so many fundamentals. They have been so coachable. It has been a true joy to watch them grow as athletes."
She said the team's goal is to work hard. "What we do on the court will speak for our success. They are working very hard, and I'll always be proud if they work their hardest." The Lady Rebels met that goal and exceeded any reasonable expectations for a team in its first year.
While the players were all on equal footing as rookies in the sport, the four seniors provided leadership through their maturity and a model for the leaders of future teams, a large sophomore class which will carry a ton of playing time into next year. (There are no juniors on the team.) The three freshmen that round out the team will be joined by members of the McKenzie Middle School volleyball team, which makes its debut this spring.
The team will celebrate the season, say farewell to the seniors and look ahead to the future at a banquet later this month. (Watch The Banner for full coverage.)
The team includes seniors Ashley Dunavant, Haylee Beard, Molly French and Raychel Oliver; sophomores Addison Milam, Ava Newman, Braylin Auvenshine, Breanna Townsend, Janyla Piro, Jaycee Stafford, Kailie Hudgins, Kynadie Brown, Maggie Hall and Natalia Taylor; and freshmen Chloe Giddens, Kynlee Barden and Ridley Holt. Managers are seniors Carlton Townes and Carli Beeler and sophomores Anna Mileski and Delta Baker.