2021 VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW: Gaylesville learning a new offense

Gaylesville’s Peyton Bright works on digging a ball at volleyball practice on Wednesday. Photo by Shannon Fagan.

GAYLESVILLE – With the personnel Gaylesville volleyball coach Bryan Young has this season, he feels like it’s the perfect time to shake things up a little with a slightly more complicated offensive set.

The Lady Trojans have been working on a new offense that involves having more than just two hitters on the front row at a time.

“We’re spending more time teaching and less time doing some basics,” Young said. “Hopefully it won’t hurt us too much.”

Gaylesville’s new offense is an attempt to compensate for the loss of three starters from last season.

“When you lose three starters who all had at least two years of playing, it’s hard to bring somebody else up,” Young said. “I feel we have some girls who can step up and fill some of their shoes. It might take them a year of experience, but we’ll see how it goes.”

The Lady Trojans only have one senior this season in setter Peyton Bright. Part of Young’s new offensive approach is to get Bright more hitting opportunities.

“She’s always begged to (hit),” Young said. “Sometimes with my seniors, who have been dedicated to the program, we try to throw them a bone.”

Joining Bright on the Lady Trojan varsity squad is juniors Delaney Coker and Andreah Calvert. Coker will play in the middle and some on the right side. Calvert is an outside hitter.

“All three of them have played a lot the last couple of years. I’m really relying on them to get people in the right positions and to be floor leaders,” Young said.

Joining Coker in the middle is sophomore Sydney Smith. Smith saw significant playing time last season after Malaya Shireman was recovering from a knee injury.

“She was thrust in, but she played above her level for us. I was really pleased,” Young said. “By the end of the year I could really count on her.”

Sophomore Jayden Dobbins will pair with Calvert as an outside hitter.

Another sophomore, Emma Givens, will be setting for the Lady Trojans. Givens also played some on varsity last season.

“Her serving was really good for us. That was one of the reasons we pulled her up,” Young said. “She’s gotten some back row experience for us, but now since Chelsey Cagle has graduated, she’s going to be taking her place and setting.”

Freshman Aubrey Peek rounds out the Gaylesville varsity roster.

“She’s got the mindset. She works hard. She’s coachable. She’s tall, and she can serve,” Young noted. “We’re going to be facing some girls who will be hitting hard. She’s going to have to grow up pretty quickly, but I think she’ll handle it well.”

Gaylesville competes in Class 1A, Area 13 with Cedar Bluff, Coosa Christian and Valley Head. The Lady Trojans open area play in their season opener at Valley Head on Aug. 19.

“We’ll learn really quickly whether this offense we’re implementing is going to work or not,” Young said. “If it does, maybe we’ll look great. If it doesn’t, I’ve already told them we’re going to get through the game doing what we did last year, we’ll come back home, and we’ll work on it some more.

“I expect us to be competitive, be in every set, and give ourselves a chance. We’ve done that that past couple of years. We’ve given ourselves a chance to win. Hopefully by October we’ll know what we can do.”

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