After going 10-4 in district play in 2024 and winning seven of its final eight district matches, the Western Albemarle volleyball team graduated only one senior.
With this roster’s experience on the court together, the Warriors have advanced chemistry.
“We’re all really good friends outside of volleyball, so it’s just really fun to already have that relationship,” senior captain Mary Kumer said. “It shows up on the court, and we all really trust each other and we have each other’s back.”
The lack of turnover has made second-year head coach Sean Meslar’s job much less difficult.
“There’s a little less hands-on coaching, a little bit more about strategy rather than trying to move everyone around and give them really precise instruction all the time,” Meslar said.
He had already coached the group in middle school and junior varsity before taking on his current role, which has helped create a smooth transition.
“It’s a team that I’m really familiar with, so coming in at the start of the season, it was really just about picking up where we left off,” Meslar said.
The combination of experience the players have with each other and with Meslar has enhanced the quality of Western Albemarle’s play.
“Our coach has very high volleyball IQ, so we trust him in tough situations,” senior captain Ava Hardy said. “It also helps that we can trust our team, because we’ve been playing together for a while.”
The Warriors improved their record to 8-4 on Tuesday with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-17) win over Monticello.
Kumer and Hardy are coming off first-team All-District seasons in 2024. Kumer led the Warriors with 219 kills, while Hardy set the offense up with a team-leading 618 assists.
Along with having prominent roles in the lineup, they have also been trusted to guide Western Albemarle in the right direction.
“They were voted captains unanimously,” Meslar said. “It was probably the shortest and least dramatic election we’ve ever had for the captaincy on the team. Everybody looks to them.”
The Warriors also retained Katherine Heilman, who led the team with 34 aces while tallying 175 kills and 168 digs last fall.
With a strong group of returners, Western Albemarle has hefty aspirations.
“We set our expectations pretty high at the start of the season, so I think we’re more so delivering on what we set in advance rather than re-assessing here,” Meslar said. “We’re hoping for a district championship and then, to advance further in the regional tournament than we got last year.”
Chris Gionta
cgionta@dailyprogress.com
@Chris_Gionta on X
C’ville Varsity
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Chris Gionta
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