WOODWARD — The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The old cliche has proven true at Woodward-Granger, where the Hawk volleyball team finished 23-11 overall and 9-1 in WCAC play last season, the first under head coach Bailey Hunt.
Hunt inherited a program in strong shape from Meg Jackson, now assisting at DC-G. The new leader kept the ball rolling, with losses to 5th-ranked Sidney and a playoff setback to BCLUW the only defeats to schools the same size (2A) as W-G. The Hawks are 163-43 in the past five seasons, with five postseason and just six regular season losses in that span to 2A schools — the remaining defeats have come to 3A, 4A or 5A teams. No 1A squad has topped W-G since 2013.
The Hawks lose some key seniors from last year but return plenty of experience, leaving Hunt positive for the upcoming campaign.
“We will have to fit in a few new pieces, but you have to do that every year,” she said. “With what we have coming back, and with the attitude these girls have, I see us having a good season.”
Serving efficiency will play a large role. The Hawks return four players with a .910 or higher clip behind the line off a team that was 10th in all classes and second in 2A last year at a combined .946.
Emma Drake was 410-of-429 with 57 aces (.956), with Katelyn Bandstra 173-185-24 (.935), Katelyn Scharlau 156-168-17 (.929), Elly Polich 252-277-40 (.910) and Natalie Weaver 93-104-11 (.894) all returning.
Drake had 149 kills and 14 blocks, Weaver 144 kills and 20 blocks, Polich 122 kills and 13 blocks and Scharlau 90 kills and 30 blocks, giving W-G a widespread and effective presence at the net.
Assists were split among Drake (369) and Polich (317), a situation Hunt expects to continue this season.
Sophomore Darby Nixon is the lead candidate to step into the libero role, with junior Jenae Jones to help defend in the back row. Drake, Bandstra and Scharlau are seniors, with Polich and Weaver juniors.
W-G opens play at West Central Valley tonight before playing Saturday in the multi-site Skip Anderson Classic in Bondurant. They will then visit Des Moines Christian Sept. 3 before a Sept. 5 rotation in the ADM Classic. The Hawks will defend their home court for the first time Sept. 10 when AC/GC visits Woodward.
