The Carson High volleyball team circles around at the end of practice Wednesday afternoon. The Senators will have a full schedule this fall under new head coach Brittany Witter.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
After watching a short spring season get cut shorter due to COVID, the Carson High volleyball team is anxiously awaiting a full schedule this fall. Brittany Witter takes over for Robert Maw at the helm of the Senator volleyball team after Maw stepped away from the role this summer. Witter says she will be looking to try plenty of new things, but still expects the new brand of ball to be similar to years’ past. “It’s been interesting. I like this group of girls. We mesh well. It feels like I was meant to take over for this team,” said Witter. “The biggest transition for me, is I used to focus on defense and now I’m focusing more holistically on the game.” Witter played volleyball underneath Maw while attending Carson High and will be entering her ninth year working in some capacity with the program. The most noticeable difference on the floor will be Witter’s move to the 5-1 instead of the 6-2. “I’m not opposed to a 6-2, I just prefer a 5-1. I think when you have one setter controlling the court, there is less chaos sometimes,” Witter said. Captains and rotation Two senior captains this year will be Olivia Smith and Grace Turner, both of which have been with the varsity program all four years. Smith will hold down the setter position this season after splitting time each of the last two years. Turner will be an outside hitter, but Witter is hoping to see her take on a full rotation if the opportunity presents itself. Sarah Miller, a sophomore, will spend her second season on varsity in the middle. “She is the heart and energy of the team, so she will help us there,” said Witter. Another sophomore in the middle will be Anna Turner, who is also returning to a varsity spot. “We have a whole bunch of defensive specialists, who can come in at any time, which is great,” said Witter. “We are a really young team.” Five seniors will line the Senators roster along with the two captains. Shannen von Duering, Caydee Farnworth and Katelynn Wing are the other three Senator seniors this season. The biggest challenge for Carson this season will be replacing the production of power hitters – and now collegiate volleyball players – Emily Bell and Cami Larkin. “We’re not going to play power volleyball this year. It’s going to be smart, controlled. We are going to put the ball in good places,” said Witter. Kylie Heckman is another sophomore Witter hopes to contribute on the floor this fall. League outlook It’s tough to know what the landscape of Northern Nevada volleyball will look like after the Senators played seven matches in the spring. “We didn’t get to play a lot of teams last year. I don’t know how many seniors these other teams lost,” said Witter. Douglas, Bishop Manogue and Reno will be three-match stretch for Carson on the road in late September that could play as a litmus test to where the team stands midseason.
League schedule 8/24 – v. Bishop Manogue 8/31 – v. Reed 9/2 – @ Galena 9/7 – v. McQueen 9/9 – v. Damonte 9/14 – @ Spanish Springs 9/16 – BYE 9/21 – @ Reno 9/23 – @ Douglas 9/28 – @ Bishop Manogue 9/30 – @ Reed 10/5 – v. Galena 10/12 – @ McQueen 10/14 – @ Damonte Ranch 10/19 – v. Spanish Springs 10/21 – BYE 10/26 – v. Reno 10/27 – v. Douglas 11/2-11/6 – 5A Regional tournament
