LYNNFIELD — After graduating seven seniors, the Lynnfield High girls volleyball team enters the fall season lacking experience, but head coach Brent Ashley sees plenty of promise.
The Pioneers return just one starter from last season in senior Alexia Vaquerano, but the program’s overall numbers are strong. Olivia Kelter and Marianna Axiotakis, along with Vaquerano, are the only three seniors, but Lynnfield has plenty of underclassmen.
“It’s going to be a fresh opportunity for a lot of the kids,” Ashley said. “One of the nice things about it is that this sophomore class is by far the largest class we’ve ever had. As freshmen, I think we had 22 tryouts and right now, we have 18 coming back that are registered. Numbers are on our side. The program has a lot of interest and love for the sport. Whenever you have that, you typically see better volleyball on the court. We have 16 juniors returning, so I’m in a great place.”
Vaquerano, who played in the middle last season, will shift to the outside hitter position this fall.
Ashley praised her offseason work ethic.
“She’s been working like crazy. Over the summer, she was doing a bunch of vertical testing and I think she’s touching around 9 feet, 9 inches right now,” Ashley said. “She’s in a fantastic place to be for this year.”
Another key returner is junior Audrey Manning, a nearly 6-foot-tall left-handed setter. Ashley said her presence will be important in guiding a young roster.
The Pioneers also expect production from Kelter, who was the team’s libero as a sophomore before moving to the outside last season.
“She should take up a huge role for us this year,” Ashley said. “I hope she can take up the outside role, opposite Alexia. She should have a big year. Her leadership is fantastic and she’s been playing club for four or five years now, so she should be in a good place for that.”
Lynnfield is back to a 20-game schedule after playing fewer matches last year due to conflicts and strength-of-schedule considerations.
“We’re at 18 right now, but we have two more in the works,” Ashley said. “It’s been tough to schedule games.”
With tryouts still ahead, Ashley said he looks beyond raw volleyball skill when evaluating athletes.
“We’ve learned the more we can get kids who just love the sport, are coachable, and athletic, are the ones who typically stick around for the long run,” he said. “We can coach the skill. But if you can get a kid who’s athletic, gives 100 percent effort, and has a great attitude about them, they work so much better and develop quicker. We look for that first at tryouts.”
Ashley also acknowledges that for many players, stepping into a varsity match for the first time can be daunting, and he understands there may be growing pains in the coming weeks.
“Because we have so many younger athletes stepping onto the varsity court for the first time this year, I think the first couple of games will be nerve-wracking,” Ashley said. “They’re going on the court where the lights are a bit brighter, the ball is faster, and the mistakes are more magnified. The better I can help them find a sense of normalcy, the better.
“The goal is to have fun and get better.”
