Losing not an option

Greenfield-Central

LAST SEASON: 13-21, 2-5 HHC

Lost in Sectional 9 opener to eventual 4A regional champ New Castle

KEY PLAYERS ( with grade, position):

Alex Colclazier (12) L

Caitey Sosnowski (10) DS

Jordan Bunch (10) OH

Megan Bradley (10) S

Rachel Irbe (9) OH

Amelia Shepherd (12) DS

Shelby Davis (12) MH

Addison Hicks (12) MH

Abby Fennig (11) RS

Maddi Graham (11) MH

Head coach: Rita Rouse (3rd season)

A 17-14 record in Year 1 of Rita Rouse’s takeover of the Greenfield-Central volleyball program gave way to a 13-21 result last season.

Buoyed by a balanced, capable mix of talent, Rouse believes the Cougars are on a long-term upswing that begins immediately.

“We will be above .500,” she said matter-of-factly. “Anything other than that is not an option for them.

“They put in 75 hours of work this summer, so it’s game on.”

Rouse lost four senior starters from her 2010 squad, which led to last fall’s downturn.

This season’s varsity 10 includes four seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and a freshman.

“We’re really blessed to be balanced through the classes,” Rouse said. “We’ve got girls like Jordan (Bunch) and Megan (Bradley), who got a lot of experience last year as sophomores, along with our seniors and juniors.

“That’s one of the cool things with this group. You can look ahead and know that you’re not going to have that huge turnover. When it’s spread out, it’s easier to be consistent.”

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