Every year, every high school sport begins with high expectations. Everyone is 0-0 and has a chance to work and practice and make their team the best. This volleyball season started much the same as before. The challenge for the Letcher Central Lady Cougars was to replace four senior starters and try to dominate the 14th region volleyball season once again. Mission accomplished. The regular season ended for them this past Wednesday night with victories at South Floyd for the JV team and the varsity team. The season ended with the freshmen team finishing with a record of 11 wins and no losses, a JV team that finished with 15 wins and 1 loss, and a varsity team that ended their regular season with 30 wins and 2 losses.

That’s a combined record of 56 wins and only 3 losses. You will have to go way back and dig out some old dusty scorebooks to come up with a season to match this one for a sport’s program from Letcher County. This after losing the MVP and two first team all 14th Region players from last year’s team. Most people thought there might be drop in the program with the loss of such key players, but the returning Lady Cougars were not of that mind set. Many hours in the gym and the weight room over the summer has produced a team of 32 young ladies that expect to win at every level and are willing to do whatever it takes for them to have success.

The freshmen team rolled over every opponent they faced. The team was led by the net play of Emi Nichols, Julie Cornett, Keisha Collins, Shania Noble, Vannah Breeding, Ashley Sexton, Lakyn Mullins, Brooklyn McCall, and Samari Mullins. The back row play was solid and led by Autumn Adams and Whitney Kincaid. The setting of Kaitlyn Jent, Sydney Back, and Tashawna Maggard stabilized this team and helped lead them to their undefeated season. Julie Cornett, Emi Nichols, and Keisha Collins joined the JV starting team and helped them finish up 15-1. They joined Lauren Thomas, Haley Whitaker, and Ana Morris in the front row of the JV team and helped power them to their success. Libero Jessica Craft, Rachel Baker, and Jessica Brock were key contributors to the success of this team. Setters Caitlyn Collier and Kaitlyn Jent provided leadership and passing necessary for a team to finish 15-1.

The varsity team returned 7 girls that started in some capacity last year. Led by senior hitters Victoria Halcomb, Brittany Sexton, and Sierra Bates this year’s team took on a personality all it’s own. Junior hitters Myrika Begley and Lisa Frazier joined by sophomore hitter Erica Meade helped propel this team to a higher level of play. This group of hitters has jumped, blocked, hit, smashed, slammed, tipped, spiked and passed every volleyball the team could get to them in the front row.

There has been some assortment of shots by the front row Lady Cougars this year. The stellar back row play of sophomores Sierra Dixon and libero Kristin Blair and others has allowed our hitters to focus on overpowering their opponents and to concentrate on net play. Returning sophomore Janetta Dixon was joined by freshmen Ari Nichols as the starting setters for this group. Senior Katey Mynster has provided much needed leadership and setting from a backup role. This entire group has raised their level of play this season for our volleyball team and the results are self evident. What a group of kids on this LCC Lady Cougar volleyball team! They’ve known nothing but success and it seems they like it that way and want to keep it that way. This year’s team has 15 freshmen, 9 sophomores, and only 4 juniors and 4 seniors. The future of Lady Cougar volleyball is bright for several years to come.

Now the team heads off for what some call the “Second Season”. The 50th District Tournament begins Monday, Oct. 12, at Cordia High School with #2 seed Jenkins playing #3 seed Knott Central at 6:00. The #1 seed Lady Cougars will take on the #4 seed Cordia at 7:00. The championship game will be played on Tuesday night beginning at 7:00. The 14th region tournament will take place sometime the next week at Estill County. Dates and times won’t be determined until the district tournaments are completed. The volleyball state tournament will begin on Oct. 30th, at Northern Kentucky University. Please follow the girls as they begin this second season of tournament play and give them a “thumbs up” for a season to remember.