By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Starved for success, Bedford North Lawrence got a taste of winning during the summer. That quick snack whetted the appetite. And if there’s a team that is ready to devour anything on the plate – from the smallest morsel to the biggest chunk – it’s a program that has had almost as many head coaches as victories in recent years.
That’s about to change. With second-year head coach Whitney Carroll and six seniors providing leadership and stability, the Stars are set to make progress.
BNL, looking to reverse the recent struggles (2-22 last season after beating Shoals and White River Valley, and only five wins the last two years), hopes to build on the momentum of summer wins (going 3-1 in a team camp at Hanover).
“The excitement is there, the trust is there,” Carroll said. “They believe in themselves, for the first time. Last year the confidence wasn’t there. Now we have kids who have worked really hard, and they have the confidence. That’s great to see.”
BNL’s senior class will include Isabelle Harding, Camryn Anderson, Kendlyn Alvey, Cali Mansker, Anna Williams and Nadia Anderson (who suffered a tough knee injury in tennis last year). The starting rotation will include four of those upperclassmen, plus promising sophomores Sammie Gratzer and Trinidy Bailey.
Gratzer could be the key. She’s a six-footer with power at the net, something the Stars have lacked in recent years.
“We are thrilled about her,” Carroll said. “We knew last year, when she was coming in as a freshman, she could be something special. We saw the potential. She has really grown, we’re excited about the level she is now. She is what every volleyball team wants.
“Camryn is solid. Both of those girls are pretty much the total package on the outside. They can hit all the shots, they’re smart volleyball players.”
Bailey will be another player to watch as a new setter.
“She has some growth to make, but she had already made some growth,” Carroll said. “We have a lot of good hitters to get the ball to, so it’s getting her to be the leader as a setter, knowing who can hit what balls and getting them where they need it.”
The Stars will start the season with their BNL Invitational, a round-robin event including Crawford County, Corydon and Austin, on Aug. 12.
