Carrollton volleyball banking on seniors, fast start

The Carrollton girls volleyball team’s early going this season will be a trial by fire, according to longtime coach Amanda Tressa.

“We had a short preseason this year, so the new people in the rotation we will still be figuring out,” said Tressa, who just embarked on her 16th year at the helm.

So far, it appears that the Lady Warriors have a pretty good handle on things. After the first week of the 2025 campaign, Carrollton stands at 2-0, defeating both Canton Central Catholic and Steubenville in straight sets.

True, two games do not make a season, but there is cause for confidence in Carrollton. Yes, the Lady Warriors had six letter winners depart from a team that went 10-14 last season, including a ho-hum 5-5 in the Eastern Buckeye Conference, good for third place. Those players are Bailey Keyser, Bella Keyser, Raegan Lee, Kaelyn Stewart, Joy Bartlow, and Kyra Winkler.

The cupboard is not barren, however, as seven letter winners are back in the fold, including senior setter Emma Shafer and senior middle hitter Haley Leslie, both of whom played integral roles last season. In 2024, Shafer led the Lady Warriors in assists with 409, while Leslie was the team leader in kills with 196 and total blocks with 83.

Returning alongside Shafer and Leslie are three seniors – outside hitters Haley Thomas and Ivy Bishop, and middle hitter Kami Shaw – as well as two juniors, defensive specialist Juliaunna Miller and setter Rhemee Beadnell.

There are quite a few newcomers on a roster that numbers 29 players but some of the players likely to make an immediate impact include junior defensive specialist Emma Eddy, junior right side hitter Berlyn Zimmerman, and sophomores Jolana Burgett (MH), Katie Kuba, (OH), and Erin Shafer (S).

Whoever is on the court, Tressa is confident that they will follow a strong senior class that will lead by example.

“Our seniors have a strong drive to improve on last year's record,” she said. “They have worked hard in the off-season and hold the same mindset.”

How the EBC shakes out will be interesting, said Tressa, who describes the conference as “competitive.” One obstacle that looms is defending champ Marlington, which went 10-0 in the EBC and 27-2 overall, finishing as the Division IV state runner-up.