It was a Highland Conference championship season for Jade Kennedy’s Beal City volleyball team.
It’s Kennedy’s third season at BCHS. The overall record going into the final weekend of the regular season was 29-7-3 with a Highland Conference record of 12-0.
“The season so far has been very successful, of course we’ve had some ups and downs, but as we get closer to districts we are playing more consistently at a high level,” Kennedy said. “They have exceeded my expectations, I knew going into this year we would have a strong team. The goals we set are high and as of right now we have accomplished close to all of them, but we have big post season aspirations.”
Highlights have included winning the Sacred Heart Invite and sweeping the conference.
“We knew we had a lot of talent coming into this season, but their ability to play as a team and never be satisfied has driven them to continually improve to become a better team,” Kennedy said. “They love to be challenged and do not shy away from bigger competitors. They want the top teams, they are constantly trying to seek new challenges and compete against the best. The girls know in order to have a great run, they must be constantly improving and the best teams show our weaknesses and they treat it as a learning opportunity.
“Last year, we had a record of 21-20-5 and this year we’ve improved that to 29-7-3 so far.”
Jordyn Fillenworth is one of Beal City’s four seniors, “who has been my libero for the past three years and has stepped up big for us this year,” Kennedy said. “Some of her stats include 581 digs, 34 aces and 15 kills.
Lyndsey Fillenworth is a junior outside hitter.
“She has been with the varsity for the past three seasons,” Kennedy said. “Some stats include 215 kills, 232 digs and 79 aces.”
Sage Schumacher is a sophomore middle hitter with 270 kills, 117 digs, 97 blocks and 38 aces.
“Bailey Torpey is a sophomore in her first year as the varsity setter and she has stepped into the position extremely well,” Kennedy said. “She leads the offense with confidence while having high energy all the time. Bailey’s stats include 667 assists, 294 digs, 101 kills and 63 aces.”
For Kennedy, it’s been a fun team to coach.
“The most enjoyable aspect of coaching this team is there is never a day where I question their work ethic,” she said. “They come in and get right to work without anyone reminding them what to do. They are a great group of girls and they have the ability to work hard and have fun at the same time.”