By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SPRING GARDEN – The 2025 Spring Garden volleyball team looks a lot different than the ones that won back-to-back state championships the past two seasons.

Gone are the faces like Ace Austin, Avery Steward, Kristen Lewis, Maggie Jarrett, Olivia Law, and Chloe Fennell.

But head coach Ricky Austin has been preparing for this day.

Austin and his staff have been grooming this year’s Lady Panthers during their junior varsity playing days to take over one day, and that time is now.

“It’s kind of like (quarterback) Ty Simpson’s situation at Alabama. He’s a very good athlete, a very good mind of the game, but he’s had to wait his turn,” Coach Austin said. “He’s been blessed to play behind some really good players, and I feel like that’s kind of like my volleyball team in some positions right now. I think they’re skilled. They’ve got some athleticism, but they’ve had to wait their turn and had to play behind some really good players. They got to learn as they were playing as youngsters, but now it’s different.”

But just because the Lady Panthers look almost totally different in 2025 doesn’t mean their championship standard has changed. Coach Austin said the ingredients are there for this year’s squad to make another state title run.

“The togetherness, wanting to do well, work hard, commitment, and wanting to put the time in, all of that is still there. The Spring Garden standard is still there,” Coach Austin said. “We’ve just got to get some experience and game time and hope we develop and grow as far as individuals. I think we will, and then of course our team will get better.

“That’s happening right now. How much better we can get every day is still up to the players, but I do think this team, somewhere along the line, is going to be ready for some big challenges. I can’t wait to see them do that. I can tell they know what the expectation is here. I have felt a different sense of urgency with some of them that were just playing JV last year, and some who might’ve been on varsity, but now they know it’s on them. I can feel that, and I love coaching that.”

The most experienced player Spring Garden has returning is senior middle Montana Highfield. A starter on last season’s state title team, Coach Austin said Highfield has had “a really good summer.”

“I’m very pleased with her not just staying on a plateau. She’s really improved, and that’s fun to see as a coach,” Austin said. “I think she’ll keep improving all year.”

Sophomores Addie Word and Aubrey Kelley will be the Lady Panther outside hitters. Coach Austin said Kelley will also pull double duty as a setter when she’s on the back row.

Junior Addie Smith will also play at setter for the Lady Panthers.

“I just kind of flirted with Addie possibly being a setter before school got out last year,” Austin said. “Aubrey is a really good setter, but Aubrey is also a really good hitter, and I didn’t want to limit her. She’s a good hitter and we’ve got to use her, but she’s also such a good setter. She’ll make people better that way as well.”

Because of Coach Austin’s plan to utilize Kelley and Smith, he said he’s going to run a 6-2 offense.

“It’s something I haven’t done in quite a while,” he said. “We’ve been a traditional 5-1, but I’m going to flirt with a 6-2. With us being young in places, I think that’s good. You can get more people on the floor and help develop people quicker.”

Freshman Carmen Truss will join Highfield in the middle. Coach Austin said Truss “has a lot of potential.”

“I really like some things she does,” he said. “She’s very athletic.”

Seniors Ava Beth Hardin and Hollis Jane Petty will be playing the right side for the Lady Panthers. Coach Austin said he’s been very pleased with what they’ve brought to the table.

Spring Garden’s defensive specialists are sophomore Lleyton Carroll, junior Lacie Jo McMurray, and senior Isabella Bussler.

Coach Austin said sophomore Gracie Simpson is “kind of on the fence” playing on varsity or junior varsity.

“We like her. We just want to make sure we’re getting her the most reps possible,” Coach Austin said. “It’s a situation where we’re stacked in that position right now. If she ends up passing somebody we’ll pull her up and she’ll get a lot of playing time there.”

The Lady Panthers open the 2025 season on Thursday at Saks. They compete in Class 1A, Area 12 along with Faith Christian, Gaylesville, Jacksonville Christian and Woodland.

Coach Austin is hopeful by the time the Lady Panthers reach area tournament play they will be beginning to peak.

“I’ve been using this mentality and focus with our girls. A lake can fill up with water, but you never know which raindrop is going to make that lake full,” he said. “We want to go from maybe average to good to great, but we don’t know what rep is going to carry us from one phase to the other.

“My message to them is to make sure we’re going every rep, like we’re trying to fill the lake with that rep. I think that’s the way our season has got to be as far as games go. We’ve got to play every game like it’s the most important game for us, to fill up who we are as we go forward and hit those phases. We haven’t been to as many wars, as many battles with this group as we have with the ones who just graduated, but they’ll be ready when the time comes.”