Malvern volleyball looks to defense
Front row: Lexi Brabant, left, Kayla Kerns, Reese Cole, Avery Sprague, Whitney Smith, Skye Harmon and Ella Debo. Back row: Ashlyn Bush, Coach Tara Collins, Addy Mitchell, Head Coach Kayla Hall, Zoe Sikorsky and Coach Gabby Wallace.
Thomas Clapper
On the face of it, losing two players to graduation seems like a pretty manageable event. For the Malvern volleyball team, however, those two players in question signify an outsized proportion of the team.
When Audrey Sikorsky and Kenna Ball left the Hornets, they represented the only two players on the team recognized by the Inter-Valley Conference; Sikorsky, a 5’8” middle hitter/right side hitter was named to the conference’s second team, while Ball (MH/OH) received honorable mention accolades.
Ball led Malvern in total blocks (36), serving aces (41), and kills (189), while Sikorsky delivered 37 serving aces and registered 147 kills, leading the Lady Hornets with 2.6 per set.
Despite those departing players, second-year coach Kayla Hall still has five letter winners who gained a lot of experience from the squad that went 6-18 last season, including 3-9 in the IVC Northern Division, good for fifth place.
Leading the returnees are seniors Zoe Sikorsky and Addy Mitchell. Sikorsky is a defensive specialist and outside hitter, while Mitchell is a setter and outside hitter. They are joined by three juniors: Whitney Smith (OH/DS), setter Ashlyn Bush, and libero Avery Sprague.
As the Hornets’ starting setter, Bush paced Malvern with 323 assists, while Mitchell added 182. Meanwhile Zoe Sikorsky (292), Sprague (253), and Smith (208) were the top three Hornets in digs. Smith also added 157 kills, tops among the returning letter winners.
The letter winners will be augmented by two sophomore newcomers to the Hornets’ squad, basketball standout Ella Debo (MH/DS) and Reese Cole (MH/MB).
One thing is for sure. With numbers this small, Hall won’t have to spend a lot of time substituting during matches. Those small numbers also lead to a particularly cohesive and close-knit unit.
“We have a small core group of athletes that will stay on the court the whole time,” said Hall. “We are older and more experienced and our girls bring determination and a drive to win. I have a small varsity team, so everyone will have to be on their “A” game every game.”
With the two players that provided most of the 2024 team’s kills and aces, Hall will look to the defensive side of the ball to provide Malvern with a spark.
“Our defense will be one of our strengths,” she said. “I have a lot of great defenders who hustle and work hard.”
Mirroring the attitude she values so much in her squad, Hall’s forecast for the 2025 season is full of determination, saying “We will finish better than last year.”
